“La Traviata” is a melodrama in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi on a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, and is a classic of the Teatro La Fenice repertoire.
When Giuseppe Verdi unveiled “La traviata” as a “subject of our time”, he hoped this salacious tale would receive a performance in modern dress for its première at La Fenice. Instead, the censors introduced a distancing effect by moving the action back to the 1700s, thus reducing the work’s impact as a critique of contemporary life.
Robert Carsen’s production acknowledges Verdi’s wish by placing the action in a contemporary setting and providing a contemporary message to boot. Though this interpretation has enjoyed repeated success, first reopening La Fenice in 2004 after it burnt down for the third time in its history, and now in its fourth cycle in ten years, there were aspects of this performance that didn’t always work.
Stefano Ranzani is the conductor, sets and costumes are by Patrick Kinmonth, choreography by Philippe Giraudeau, lights by Robert Carsen and Peter Van Praet. The performance lasts about 2 hour 55 minutes.
Website: www.teatrolafenice.it
Location: La Fenice Theatre, Venice
Schedule: from October 24th to November 3rd 2019
Hour: 7.00 pm – 3.30 pm Sundays
Ticket: up to € 230
