There is nothing quite the last night of La Traviata in Cardiff to celebrate the start of the Autumn season.
On Saturday night, we had the opportunity to see the Welsh National Opera as they tackled Verdi’s most powerful work. Based on Alexander Dumas’ novel, La Dame aux Camélias, La Traviata features some of the most popular melodies including the beloved Brindisi (the drinking song).
Set in Paris, we find ourselves instantly immersed into a world of beauty, pleasure and champagne flutes where we witness the original love story, you know the one, the one most romantic books and films have been based on. It is the journey of Violetta, a courtesan under the protection of Baron Douphol, and Alfredo, a young man from a well-known Provençal family. They fall in love despite everything meant to separate and alienate them, a damaging mix of selfish friends, poverty, prejudice and illness. Despite their love, life shatters their romantic dreams in the most heart-breaking (and perhaps coveted) scene of all times.
Evocative, powerful and emotional, there are so many reasons why you should go and see La Traviata. Here are ours:
- Violetta. No one can change our mind about Stacey Alleaume. She was, hands down, the most talented performer we have seen so far gracing the stage of WNO in Cardiff. It wasn’t just about her talent (and she is extraordinarily talented). She was also extremely beautiful and graceful in her performance. When it concerns the opera world, one might find themselves easily blinded, confused or even overwhelmed by the music, the impeccable voices and the elaborate settings. However, when a performer like Stacey Alleaume succeeds in telling the character’s story, perhaps even in spite of their talent and the beauty of the opera itself, that’s when you are in for a real treat. And we really, really were.
- The structure. We love that La Traviata is easily structured in 3 different acts. The different settings and how the colours changed to signal different environments, moods and seasons were extremely detailed and beautiful to look at. It made it all more clear, easy to follow and exceptionally smooth considering how different the scenes looked from each other.
- The beautiful parties and group scenes. One of the strengths WNO has lays in the strong voices and talent of every single member of the company. It is not just about the main characters, who are obviously phenomenal, but the level of professionalism and talent which unifies the entire cast. The party scenes were impeccably executed and nothing short than captivating to look at.
Don’t miss La Traviata as they start their tour. Check out their next stop by clicking here.
Thank you so much to the press team at WNO for allowing us to see such a wonderful production.
