La Dame aux Camélias La Dame aux Camélias La Dame aux Camélias (literally The Lady with the Camellias, commonly known in English as Camille) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas "fils", first published in 1848 and subsequently adapted by Dumas for the stage. "La Dame aux Camélias" premiered at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris, France on February 2, 1852. The play was an instant success, and Giuseppe Verdi immediately set about putting the story to music. His work became the 1853 opera "La traviata", with the female protagonist, Marguerite Gautier, renamed Violetta Valéry. In the English-speaking world, "La Dame aux Camélias" became known
Giuseppe Verdi Milan. The La Scala impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli, agreed to put on "Oberto" (as the reworked opera was now called, with a libretto rewritten by Temistocle Solera) in November 1839. It achieved a respectable 13 additional performances, following which Merelli offered Verdi a contract for three more works. While Verdi was working on his second opera "Un giorno di regno", Margherita died of encephalitis at the age of 26. Verdi adored his wife and children and was devastated by their deaths. "Un giorno", a comedy, was premiered only a few months later. It was a flop and only given the one