'La Traviata' is 'the woman gone astray', 'the wayward one'. Verdi's opera is based on the story of the novel 'La dame aux camélias' by Alexandre Dumas fils about the life of a consumptive demimondaine full of joie de vivre in the salons of Paris and her wish to return to a life filled with meaning. In contrast to all opera subjects set to music by Verdi until then, this one was taken from everyday life; as a consequence, the music encompasses both positive and subdued to melancholy moods. After the failure of the world premiere in Venice in 1853, the opera began its triumphant progress through all major opera houses of the world after the performance in Milan one year later.