PREVIEW: Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata
Verdi’s operatic masterpiece ‘La Traviata’ will make its way to the Millennium Forum this month in a collaboration between North West Opera and Spark Opera.
‘The Fallen Woman’ still remains one of the most popular operas to this day and is based on ‘La dame aux Camélias’, a play created in 1852 and adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
Founder of Donegal based North West Opera, Ann Jennings, an internationally renowned soprano, has joined forces with Kate Guelke, founder of Belfast-based Spark Opera and a fantastic directorial talent, to bring this incredible piece to the Forum.
Both Jennings and Guelke have an aim of making high quality live opera accessible and affordable to all and both believe opera is for everyone. “People listen to opera all the time without realising it. Operatic works have been plundered by TV, film and advertising because they are powerful pieces of music” says Jennings.
The opera is staged in three acts telling the tragic story of Violetta and Alfredo and is performed by a cast of internationally acclaimed singers with an 80 strong chorus and live orchestra.
Originally the opera was titled Violetta, after the main character and was first performed 1853 at the La Fenice opera house in Venice and has become one of the most performed operas in the world.
Ann Jennings playing the role of Violetta will be joined be internationally acclaimed Welsh tenor Stephen Mullan as Alfredo. Joining the strong line up will be Paul Martin who will play the role of Gaston, Icelandic baritone Hrólfur Saemundsson as Germont and the role of Annina will be performed by Katie Patton.
>> You can see La Traviata at the Millennium Forum between Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August. The show takes place at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £15
