Guiseppe Verdi
September 22, 24, 26, 29, 2001Sung in Italian with English translations
projected above the stage.
Sojourn to the glitter and gaiety of the 19th century Paris and meet one of opera's most unforgetable women, in La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. Our heroine, Violetta, is lovely, kindhearted, and full of life - but in the eyes of the world is a "fallen woman." The happiness she finds with Alfredo, a young gentleman from a respectable family, is all too fleeting. With Verdi's lyrical, evocative music, and a taut libretto based on a play by Alexander Dumas, La traviata is one of the best-loved and most frequently performed operas in the repretoire.
Gifted, young soprano Andrea Trebnik sings Violetta, a role that many consider to be one of the most psychologically complex characters in opera, as well as one of the most vocally challenging. Charismatic tenor Raymond Very, a favorite in Europe and North America, performs Alfredo. Fresh from two seasons at the Met, baritone Stephen Powell plays Alfredo's disapproving father, Germont.
Rich scenery from New Orleans Opera reflects the opulence of 19th century Parisian society. Kristine McIntyre, who assisted Keith Warner on March 2000's production of The Cunning Little Vixen, directs. Dynamic, Russian conductor Valéry Ryvkin makes his Portland Opera debut. Artistic director of Santa Barbara Opera, Ryvkin is also a member of the conducting staff at the Metropolitan and San Francisco Operas.
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