Rainbows: La Traviata

Now I didn't exactly look like this when attending the opera last night, but I still lived up the entire experience. This was my first time to attend an opera, which was "La Traviata" at the Long Center. It was interesting, heart breaking, beautiful, and moving.

This tale (which many may recognize from the movie "Moulin Rouge") tells the story of Alfredo and Violetta. At a party in the first Act, Alfredo exclaims his love to Violetta. She is skeptical for fall in  love with him because she is a courtesan who only wants to live for joy.

Violetta soon accepts that a life without love is worthless, and she runs away with Alfredo. What the audience knows is that Violetta is very sick and does not have long to live.

The two lovers live secluded in the country and appear very happy, until Alfredo's father comes in secret to command Violetta to leave Alfredo. He fears that her reputation will bring down the family's name and keep his daughter from marrying her love. After much convincing, Violetta decides to sacrifice her love so that another may marry.

What happens next is filled with sadness, revenge, and tragedy.

This is a beautiful opera that is very dramatic. I was impressed that human voices can produce such powerful noises. In the final scene, the singer portraying Violetta belts while lying down which truly amazed me.

When I left, I lost the ability to say any words. I wanted to sing everything in Italian. Life would be so much more exciting that way.