The Lady of the Camellias

Japanese: 椿姫 - つばきひめ（英語表記）La Dame aux camélias

A full-length novel by French novelist Dumas the Younger. Published in 1848. Based on the author's mistress, Marie Duplessis, the novel is told in the form of the protagonist's recollections. Marguerite Gautier, a high-class prostitute nicknamed "La Traviata" for her love of camellia flowers, awakens to love when she encounters the single-minded passion of young lawyer Armand Duval. Abandoning her days of pleasure, she retreats to a villa on the outskirts of Paris with Armand and enjoys a quiet happiness, but this does not last long. Armand's father visits her while he is away and begs her to leave him for the sake of his future if she truly loves him. With heartbreaking feelings, she accepts the sacrifice, makes him think she has abandoned him, and leaves, returning to her previous life as a shackled woman. Enraged, Armand insults her in public and leaves, and she dies in despair from the worsening of her lung disease.

The author himself changed this hopeless ending in his dramatization, so that Marguerite dies in the arms of Armand, who discovers the truth and rushes to her side. The play was a phenomenal success from its premiere in 1852, and was adapted into an opera by Verdi, immortalizing the author's name.

[Mie Sato]

Opera

Based on this novel, the opera by Italian composer Verdi is one of the masterpieces of his middle period, consisting of three acts and four scenes. The original title of the opera is La Traviata, meaning "the woman who went astray". The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave (1810-1876), and the heroine is said to be named Violetta. The sharp criticism of the social system in the original novel has been toned down, and the opera has a strong melodramatic coloring. The music is also characterized by delicate and emotional expression, such as smooth transitions from recitative to arioso, and scene depictions by the orchestra. The preludes to the first and third acts, "The Toast Song", "Ah, is that the Man", "Sea and Land of Provence", and "Away from Paris" are well known. It premiered in Venice in 1853. It was first performed in Japan in 1919 (Taisho 8) by the Russian Opera Company.

[Yukio Miyake]

"La Traviata" (translated by Shoichiro Yoshimura, Iwanami Bunko/translated by Yoshiaki Shinjo, Shincho Bunko)

[References] | Dumas the Younger | Verdi | Marie Duplessis

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

フランスの小説家デュマ（子）の長編小説。1848年発表。マリ・デュプレシスという作者の愛人をモデルにし、主人公の回想形式をとる。椿の花を愛して椿姫とあだ名される高級娼婦(しょうふ)マルグリット・ゴーチエは、青年弁護士アルマン・デュバルのひたむきな情熱に触れて愛に目覚める。歓楽の日々を捨て、彼女はアルマンと2人パリ郊外の別荘にこもって静かな幸福に浸るが、それも長くは続かなかった。アルマンの父が彼の留守に訪ねてきて、本当に愛情があるなら彼の将来のために別れてくれと懇願する。悲痛な想(おも)いで犠牲を受け入れた彼女は、彼を捨てたと思わせて去り、以前の囲われ者の暮らしに戻る。激怒したアルマンは公衆の面前で彼女を侮辱して旅に出、彼女は絶望のあまり肺病を悪化させて死ぬ。

　この救いのない結末は著者自身による劇化の際改められ、マルグリットは真相を知って駆けつけたアルマンの腕の中で死ぬことになる。初演（1852）から驚異的成功を博し、ベルディによってオペラ化され、作者の名を不朽にした。

［佐藤実枝］

オペラ

この原作をもとに、イタリアの作曲家ベルディによるオペラは作者中期の傑作の一つで、三幕四場。オペラの原題はLa Traviataで、「道を踏み外した女」の意。イタリア語の台本はフランチェスコ・M・ピアーベFrancesco Maria Piave（1810―1876）で、ヒロインの名はビオレッタとされ、原作の鋭い社会体制批判は薄れ、メロドラマの色彩が強い。音楽も、レチタティーボからアリオーソへの滑らかな移行や、管弦楽による情景描写など、繊細で情感豊かな表現が特徴である。第一幕および第三幕への前奏曲、「乾杯の歌」「ああ、そはかの人か」「プロバンスの海と陸」「パリを離れて」などがよく知られる。1853年ベネチア初演。日本初演は1919年（大正8）ロシア歌劇団。

［三宅幸夫］

『『椿姫』（吉村正一郎訳・岩波文庫／新庄嘉章訳・新潮文庫）』

[参照項目] | デュマ（子） | ベルディ | マリ・デュプレシス

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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