La traviata

When Verdi decided to use Alexandre Dumas’ 1848 novel La dame aux camélias as the basis for La traviata, it was the first time he had used a contemporary story for one of his operas – Marie Duplessis, the Parisian courtesan who inspired the main character, had died in1847. She was a cult figure, the epitome of success and glamour who was fated to meet a tragic end.

Poignant interpretation

Tatjana Gürbaca, one of today’s most exciting opera directors, made her DNO debut in 2021 with her piercing production of La traviata. In this interpretation, Violetta Valéry starts as a carefree ‘material girl’ who becomes increasingly caught up in a capitalist system that eventually destroys her. Gürbaca strips the opera of all superfluous embellishments and lays bare the unforgiving toughness of the human condition against the background of a minimalist set. She directs the chorus with attention to the finest details. “Both individually and collectively, the chorus members seem prepared to do anything for the director Tatjana Gürbaca”, wrote Theaterkrant.

Top-notch vocalists

The role of Violetta Valéry demands an exceptionally versatile singer and actor. It is sometimes claimed that from a vocal perspective the role ideally requires three different sopranos, one for each act. This challenging role is in accomplished hands, both vocally and theatrically, with the Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, who previously gave a fervent performance as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at DNO.

The Ukrainian tenor Bogdan Volkov and the Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan alternate in the role of Violetta’s lover Alfredo Germont. The seasoned Verdi singer George Petean completes the trio of main roles. The musical direction is once again in the hands of the energetic and passionate Italian conductor Andrea Battistoni, who this time will be conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.