La Traviata
Giuseppe Verdi
Dumas, Alexandre. Camille (The Lady of the Camellias). Signet Classics. New American Library, 1984. ISBN 0451523989.
An excellent introduction to the characters and world of La Traviata is the Dumas original The Lady of the Camellias that inspired the opera libretto.
Budden, Juilan. The Operas of Verdi: From Il trovatore to La forza del destino . Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0198162626.
The Operas of Verdi is a three-volume series by Julian Budden that examines all of the Verdi operas in depth. The first volume contains chapters on each of the early works, including a detailed analysis of the source, composition, and reception of La Traviata . Because each of the three volumes in the series focuses on early, middle, and late Verdi, respectively, the analysis of background and style is more in-depth than any other study.
Osborne, Charles. The Complete Operas of Verdi . Da Capo Press, 1991. ISBN 0306800721.
Similar to the series by Budden but in shorter format, this one-volume source contains a listing and background of all the operas ? a good introduction to the Verdi canon for those curious to learn more.
Weaver, William, Translator. Seven Verdi Librettos . W. W. Norton & Company, 1977. ISBN 0393008525.
This bilingual volume published by Norton presents seven of Verdi's most famous librettos, including Rigoletto , all in the original Italian alongside a literal English translation.
Weaver, William and Martin Chusid, Editors. The Verdi Companion . W. W. Norton & Company, 1988. ISBN 0393304434.
This single volume of essays contains a variety of articles, chronologies, analyses, and documents all relating to Verdi's life and art. Rather than providing a clear thesis, this book aims to bring together diverse opinions and interpretations of the works. In this way, the operas can be understood from different angles ? musical, dramatic, historical.
Berger, William. Verdi with a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera . Vintage, 2000. ISBN 037570518X.
Written for a wide audience with little background on Verdi, this biography paints an exciting and eye-opening portrait of the interaction between Verdi and the political climate of his time. Berger places each of the operas in its context and also outlines the way that Verdi's art became a rallying cry for the unificaiton of Italy.
Rosselli, John. The Life of Verdi . Cambridge University Press, 2000. ISBN 052166957X.
This recent biography examines Verdi's life in its many facets ? from composer to businessman to political activist to lover and husband. Rosselli also examines why Verdi has stayed popular for so long and what in his operas has spoken to generation after generation of theater audiences.
Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography . Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 0198166001.
Written by a co-founded of the American Institue for Verdi Studies at New York University, this biography aims to separate fact from legend through exhaustive scholarly research and interviews. Phillips-Matz admires Verdi's many accomplishments in music and politics but considers his life with an objective and sometimes skeptical eye.
