La traviata

An armchair and some curtains, that’s all star director Peter Konwitschny needs to create an unstoppable vortex. His legendary production of La traviata returns to the stage of the Oper Graz for the very last time. Clearly focussing on the title heroine, Konwitschny tells the tragic love story of the terminally ill Parisian courtesan with unparalleled intensity.

Violetta Valery is the centre of Parisian amusement society, but a shadow lies over her seemingly carefree life. She is terminally ill. At a party, she meets shy Alfredo and the two fall in love. Hoping to start a new life, she turns her back on her former existence and moves to the countryside with him. The relationship, however, was built on shaky ground.
Alfredo’s father pressures Violetta to end the relationship to avoid damaging the family’s reputation. She succumbs to the pressure and Alfredo is devastated, while Violetta’s illness progresses further and further. It is too late when Alfredo discovers the real motive for her departure.
Created as a co-production with the English National Opera in 2011, Peter Konwitschny’s production has lost none of its power to this day. The unstoppable decline of the protagonist whose tragic demise Verdi masterfully foreshadows in the overture is observed as if through a magnifying glass.
The internationally acclaimed production also marks the return of James Rutherford to Oper Graz, having already appeared in the role of Giorgio Germont at the premiere. The stylistically expert Verdi conductor Matteo Beltrami will once again take over the musical direction.

Age recommendation: 13+