La traviata Felice Varesi and the tenor Lodovico Graziani. The next day, Verdi wrote to his friend Emanuele Muzio in what has now become perhaps his most famous letter: ""La traviata" last night a failure. Was the fault mine or the singers'? Time will tell." Coincidentally, as Philips-Matz points out, an Italian translation of the play "La Dame aux camélias" was being presented just a short distance from La Fenice. While there were demands for productions from impresarios in various Italian cities, Verdi was loath to allow them unless he could be sure of the strength of the singers, and in spite
La descente d'Orphée aux enfers La descente d'Orphée aux enfers La descente d'Orphée aux enfers (English: "The Descent of Orpheus to the Underworld") is a chamber opera in two acts by the French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. It was probably composed in early 1686 and probably was performed either in the private apartment of the Dauphin that spring, or at Fontainebleau in the autumn. Charpentier himself sung the title role and was joined by the musicians of Mademoiselle de Guise and the members of the Dauphin's little ensemble. This was Charpentier's last appearance with the Guise ensemble. The libretto, whose author is unknown, is based on