Courtesy of Fondazione Arena di Verona - Arena di Verona_La Traviata atto II FotoEnnevi
What makes La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) the #1 opera on the operabase list? There are many reasons. Giuseppe Verdi's genius likely tops the list, but the theme of love is so universal that everyone who sees the opera, whether they are an experienced opera buff or a novice, relates to the story. Given that La Traviata is so wildly popular, it is also very frequently performed and is a main-stay of many modern opera companies.
The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave, a frequent collaborator with Verdi, based on La dame aux Camélias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils..
While the plot is more twisted, the essence of La Traviata is fairly simple: Violetta sacrifices everything for Alfredo because she loves him dearly. He awakens to the full knowledge of her sacrifice and is reunited with her very briefly, only moments before her death, but she dies knowing she was truly loved by him.
Those of us who are more familiar with the opera are always looking for a new treatment, an interesting angle, or something just a little different. Viewing the opera in an historic open-air arena in the heart of Northern Italy in the lovely town of Verona absolutely fits the bill! If you have spent your whole life seeing this opera in a theatre, then you will find the outdoor experience very new and interesting. For those who are less acquainted with the work, sitting outside under the moon and stars on a pleasant summer evening with the stage stretching out along the backdrop of the ancient arena would be a great way to get acquainted with this famous work.
Fortunately, this summer the Arena di Verona has put on a lavish production with colorful, and modern sets. Those of us fortunate enough to experience the production on Friday the 15th of July witnessed the over-the-top party scenes, with a host of performers on stage, while the center section of the stage primarily featured the protagonists. This treatment really worked in such a large venue that seemed to require larger-than-life sets in order to really fill the space.
The weather that night was a bit cooler than most summer nights and a light sweater was quite comfortable. The crowd that night was very appreciative, with the occasional shouting out of appreciation in the form of bravo, brava, or bravi, especially for Ekaterina Bakanova, who interpreted the role of the protagonist, Violetta. At each of the intermissions, the relaxed and well-dressed crowd milled around, sipping prosecco, or just chatting. From within the seating area you could overhear discussions of the finer points of the production in a variety of languages.
La Traviata at the historic Arena di Verona certainly stands out as one of the better ways to enjoy this classic work by Verdi.
Here is a link for more information: http://www.arena.it/arena/en/shows/traviata.html