La Traviata

Any opera house worthy of its name has to host Verdi’s classic, La Traviata, which contains all elements an opera buff is bound to like: romance, drama and a stunning score full of vivid melodies. Hosted by the National Opera of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko, the opera features a score full of incredible melodies, and some of the most difficult arias in the soprano repertoire. With vivid characters and a tense plot paired with Verdi’s heartbreaking and perfectly attuned music, there isn’t going to be a dry eye in the whole opera house so keep the tissues handy.

This production is also the best entryway for anyone looking to experience the Dubai Opera House - the opera, after all, played an important role in the chemistry between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman

The Show

Violetta Valery is plagued by an illness that is sure to kill her. She knows that she is not left with much time to live, and as a courtesan, she has never experienced the magic of true love. She is smart, well-read, and charming; characteristics that were not common amongst 19th-century courtesans. When she meets Alfredo Germont at a party, Violetta is deeply moved by Alfredo’s honest demeanor and child-like attitude to life. She presents him with a single camellia and asks him to return once the flower has withered. Alfredo is overjoyed, for this was an invitation to a rendezvous in the near future.

In the second act, Violetta and Alfredo live a quiet life in the country, far from the bustling cities of Europe. Soon, Alfredo finds out that they are only able to afford their luxuries because Violetta has been selling all her property. He journeys to Paris in search of a way to earn an honest living, promising his beloved that he will soon rejoin her. In his absence, Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father, visits Violetta. He admonishes her for tempting his son into a shameful relationship with a courtesan. As the conversation builds, he realises that Violetta was never after Alfredo’s money, thus leading him to gently declare that it is not right for Violetta to remain with Alfredo, although she does indeed love him unconditionally. Violetta succumbs to the demands of Giorgio and takes up her old profession in the city once more. What follows is a truly heartrending series of events that is gorgeously depicted and expressed by the opera artists!

Good For

Fans of Romantic Tales | Lovers of Opera | Fans of Verdi