La traviata
Runtime: 192 minutes
synopsis
LIVE - JUNE 30th: A toast to the pleasures of life! – so sing the beautiful Parisian courtesan, her new admirer and her party guests, and all to one of Verdi’s most famous melodies. And so also begins the drama of this great opera based on La Dame aux Camélias. When Violetta Valéry breaks society’s conventions for a life with Alfredo Germont their arrangement threatens to bring scandal on Alfredo’s family and ruin the future of his sister. Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s stern father, discovers that Violetta’s love is truly noble, while only too late Alfredo discovers the truth of her selfless sacrifice.
American soprano Renée Fleming returns to Covent Garden to sing Violetta for the first time with The Royal Opera. La traviata was first performed at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice in March 1853.
La traviata, Verdi’s best-loved work, is performed here by a star cast in a revival of Richard Eyre’s highly acclaimed 1994 production. Music Director Antonio Pappano, now in his seventh Season with The Royal Opera, conducts La traviata for the first time at Covent Garden.
credits
conductor
Antonio Pappano
composer
Guiseppe Verdi
director
Richard Eyre
performers
Alfredo Germont
Joseph Calleja
Violetta
Renée Fleming
Giorgio Germont
Thomas Hampson
trailer
performers
Joseph Calleja
Alfredo GermontA young and exciting presence in today’s music world, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja has established himself as one of the most promising artists of his generation. An exclusive Decca recording artist since 2003, his first two albums of opera arias captured critical and popular acclaim, and prompted Riccardo Chailly, with whom he collaborated on the first recording, to proclaim “For some time I have not heard such a talent at this young age, with a sound harking back to a quality I thought we had long lost.” Both albums were Editor's Choice in Gramophone Magazine, and the Observer described Calleja as “a rare discovery, evoking memories from Caruso to Domingo with the suppleness of his tone and the expressive, highly individual lyricism he brings to even the most familiar material.”
Renée Fleming
ViolettaAs “the people’s diva,” renowned soprano Renée Fleming continues to charm audiences throughout the world with her superb vocal intelligence, exquisite musical grace, and voice of “liquid gold.” Her artistry has taken her to the world’s capitals and great opera houses, captivating audiences everywhere she goes. On September 22, 2008, the Metropolitan Opera celebrates her in their Gala Opening Night —an evening starring this beloved singer. Additional appearances at the Metropolitan Opera this season are in Massenet’s Thaïs and Dvorák’s Rusalka. Over the past few seasons, Ms. Fleming has begun hosting many broadcasts, including the Met’s HD series for movie theaters as well as television, and “Live from Lincoln Center” on PBS.
Thomas Hampson
Giorgio GermontThomas Hampson is a singer, actor, scholar, teacher, passionate golf player, avid collector of books and a committed advocate of new technologies. Born in Elkhart, Indiana, he was raised in Spokane, Washington, and educated at Eastern Washington University, Cheney, and Fort Wright College, Spokane. He began his professional career as a voice student of Sr. Marietta Coyle, and at the age of 19 first appeared in an opera production – portraying a very youthful father of the two title characters in Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel”. During the following years Thomas Hampson studied with Martial Singher, Horst Günter and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. In 1980 he came to Europe and had his first permanent engagement at Düsseldorf’s Deutsche Oper am Rhein. Four years later he joined the roster of the Zurich Opera where he collaborated frequently with Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and Nikolaus Harnoncourt and where he has since appeared every season.