La Traviata

Opera

2023

"La Traviata" at the 100th Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2023

Opera overview

«Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici» (Let’s drink, let’s drink from this chalice of joy) in hour of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, the most performed opera in the world, which, for six nights (between 8 July and 9 September) will captivate the Arena, with the sumptuous 19th century production by Franco Zeffirelli, with costumes by Maurizio Millenotti and sets by Giuseppe Picone.

Genuinely in love, and yet opposed by everyone, beautiful courtesan Violetta Valéry, and young Alfredo Germond will make you understand how much the sentiment that binds them is a «è palpito/Dell’universo intero,/Misterioso, altero,/Croce e delizia al cor!» (heartbeat/Of the entire Universe/Mysterious, proud/A blessing and a curse for the heart!)

La Traviata

by Giuseppe Verdi
Melodrama in thrre acts
Booklet by Francesco Maria Piave

Conductor Andrea Battistoni (8, 14, 27/7 - 19, 26/8), Marco Armiliato (9/9)
Direction Franco Zeffirelli
Costumes Maurizio Millenotti
Lighting design Paolo Mazzon
Choreography Giuseppe Picone

Arena di Verona Orchestra, Choir, Corps de Ballet and Technical team
Choirmaster Roberto Gabbiani
Dance Company Coordinator Gaetano Petrosino

Location

Arena di Verona

Director

Andrea Battistoni, Marco Armiliato

Language

Italian

Show type

Opera

Libretto

Francesco Maria Piave

Music

Giuseppe Verdi

Duration

3 h 04 min

Date

There are no more events scheduled for this show.

Cast

Conductor

Andrea Battistoni

Conductor

Marco Armiliato

Direction and set design

Costumes

Lights

Choreographer

Chorus Master

Dance Company Coordinator

Gaetano Petrosino

Interpreters

Direttore

Andrea Battistoni 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08

Marco Armiliato 09/09

Violetta Valéry

Gilda Fiume 08/07

Lisette Oropesa 14/07 27/07

Jessica Pratt 19/08

Nadine Sierra 26/08

Anna Netrebko 09/09

Alfredo Germont

Francesco Meli 08/07 27/07 19/08 26/08

Vittorio Grigòlo 14/07

Freddie De Tommaso 09/09

Giorgio Germont

Luca Salsi 08/07 14/07 09/09

Simone Piazzola 27/07

Ludovic Tézier 19/08 26/08

Flora Bervoix

Sofia Koberdize 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08 09/09

Annina

Francesca Maionchi 08/07 14/07 27/07

Yao Bohui 19/08 26/08 09/09

Gastone Visconte di Letorières

Carlo Bosi 08/07 14/07 27/07

Matteo Mezzaro 19/08 26/08 09/09

Il Barone Douphol

Nicolò Ceriani 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08 09/09

Il Dottore Grenvil

Giorgi Manoshvili 08/07 14/07 27/07 26/08 09/09

Gabriele Sagona 19/08

Il Marchese d’Obigny

Roberto Accurso 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08

Jan Antem 09/09

Giuseppe

Francesco Cuccia 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08 09/09

Un Domestico di Flora/ Un Commissionario

Stefano Rinaldi Miliani 08/07 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08 09/09

Primi Ballerini

Nicoletta Manni 08/07 09/09

Timofej Andrijashenko 08/07 09/09

Liudmila Konovalova 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08

Davide Dato 14/07 27/07 19/08 26/08

Plot ACT I

Six months later, Violetta and Alfred are living together in a house in the country outside Paris. One day, Annina, a servant, tells Alfred that Violetta has sold all her possessions to finance their new life. His pride hurt, he leaves for Paris in search of more money.

No sooner has he left than George Germont, Alfred’s father, arrives. He begs Violetta, to give up his son, speaking insolently, accusing her of ruining him. She defends herself well, showing him the receipts of sales of her possessions, adding that she has never asked Alfred for money. The man instantly changes tone. However, he pleads with her to leave Alfred because the engagement of his daughter risks being compromised by the scandal of this relationship, unacceptable in the bourgeois mentality. The verbal abuse becomes more subtle. Germont senses that Violetta feels a sense of guilt and takes advantage of her weakness. He knows which points to touch, he knows what to say and how to say it. And he keeps on going: not having contracted marriage, her prospects in old age are uncertain, he says. Violetta admits her error. She has asked forgiveness, it’s true; maybe God will forgive her, but man certainly won’t. At the end, she decides to sacrifice her personal happiness in order to restore happiness to Alfred’s family. She has only one request: that when she is dead, Alfred know of her sacrifice. Geront is profoundly moved by this and he promises to grant her wish.

Violetta writes Alfred a letter of farewell, telling him she no longer loves him. She is distraught, she cries and before leaving, lets out a scream of love. Alfred suddenly returns so she rushes out of the room, pretending to go into the garden. He is informed of his father’s visit during his absence and this worries him. Shortly afterwards, he reads the letter and learns that his love is returning to her past life in Paris. He is filled with jealousy and bitterness. His father consoles him and takes advantage of the situation, convincing him to return home. Alfred is beside himself; maybe he has a rival in love. He hastens to find Violetta to get revenge.

The same evening, Flora Bervoix has a party at her home. The din of the masked dances starkly contrasts with the protagonists’ feelings of solitude and anxiety. Alfred enters and immediately starts gambling, and winning. Violetta arrives, accompanied by Douphol. Alfred challenges the Baron at cards and repeatedly wins, at the same time provoking him by making allusions that hurt. Dinner is announced and everyone leaves the room.

Violetta comes back immediately. She has given Alfred a nod and he understands that she wants to talk. He comes in and listens, but it seems that dialogue is impossible: they are unable to communicate. They have hit a wall and she is forced to lie so as not to reveal the truth. She says she loves Douphol. On hearing this, Alfred loses control: in a fury of rage, he calls all the guests into the room and throws all his winnings at Violetta’s feet, asking the company to witness that in so doing, he has paid back the money she spent on him. Everyone is astounded by his lack of social aplomb. Violetta faints and Alfred is upbraided by his father for his heartless conduct. Alfred, contrite, is escorted out by his father, but only after he has been challenged in a duel by Douphol.