It is well known that La traviata was not well received at its premiere in 1853 at the Teatro La Fenice. Verdi decided to present it to the Venetian public again the following year, and for the occasion he made some modifications in the score.

This second performance at Teatro San Benedetto was a great success, and Verdi considered this version as definitive. Unfortunately, as was the usual practice in the 19th-century, the score of La traviata was altered, to adapt the music to the important singers of the time or to satisfy important audiences with danced divertissements. 

The traviata that will open the season at La Scala on December 7 will use the score of the critical edition, by Fabrizio della Seta, that is the reconstruction of the original manuscript of La traviata for the acclaimed performance at Teatro San Benedetto in Venice.