La Traviata

Produced by Tony Award-winning director and playwright Michael Mayer, La Traviata is a symphonic exploration of love, social stigma, and the withering of life. Following a somewhat shaky and unsuccessful opening in Venice, this opera quickly became one of Verdi’s most popular pieces alongside Rigoletto and Il Trovatore. The idea of the ‘fallen woman’ is central to the opera’s sweeping vocals and eloquent phrasing.

The grandeur of the set design and the attention to detail managed to snag the attention of critics and audiences alike in last season’s premier of this show at the MET Opera. With tenors Dmytro Popov and Vittorio Grigolo matching the refined performances of sopranos Aleksandra Kurzak and Lisette Oropesa, La Traviata is sure to be a masterful display of Verdi at his best.

The Story

Violetta Valery is plagued by an illness that is sure to kill her. She knows that she is not left with much time to live, and as a courtesan, she has never experienced the magic of true love. She is smart, well-read, and charming; characteristics that were not common amongst 19th-century courtesans. When she meets Alfredo Germont at a party, Violetta is deeply moved by Alfredo’s honest demeanor and child-like attitude to life. She presents him with a single camellia and asks him to return once the flower has withered. Alfredo is overjoyed, for this was an invitation to a rendezvous in the near future.

In the second act, Violetta and Alfredo live a quiet life in the country, far from the bustling cities of Europe. Soon, Alfredo finds out that they are only able to afford their luxuries because Violetta has been selling all her property. He journeys to Paris in search of a way to earn an honest living, promising his beloved that he will soon rejoin her. In his absence, Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father, visits Violetta. He admonishes her for tempting his son into a shameful relationship with a courtesan. As the conversation builds, he realizes that Violetta was never after Alfredo’s money, thus leading him to gently declare that it is not right for Violetta to remain with Alfredo, although she does indeed love him unconditionally. Violetta succumbs to the demands of Giorgio and takes up her old profession in the city once more. What follows is a truly heartrending series of events that are gorgeously depicted and expressed by the opera artists!

Good For

Lovers of Musicals | Fans of Guiseppe Verdi

Critics Review

”Mayer has a gift for visual flair, and his Traviata does boast some vivid images.” - New York Classical Review