‘La Traviata’ Is Back with Italian Set & Spanish Costumes
On November 18, 19, 23, 24 and 30, at 8pm, the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ will be held at Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater. It is the first time a production has been performed in Tbilisi which has been been created by two European theaters. The set was made in Teatro dell Opera di Roma, Italy, and costumes made in Teatro Real, Madrid and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain.
The world premiere of ‘La Traviata’ took place in Teatro ‘La Fenice’, Venice, in March 6, 1853. It was a total failure. The next day, Verdi wrote to his friend Emanuelle Emuzzio: “Yesterday night, ‘La Traviata’ failed. Is it my fault, or are the singers to blame?” “Time will tell,” was the answer. However, there were people in the audience who approved of and appreciated it thoroughly.
“’La Traviata’ was the first performance that I conducted in our theater. It is one of the most well-loved operas” Zaza Azmaiparashvili, conductor of the performance, said.
“I am very excited because Georgia is a wonderful country with a rich culture. I have worked with excellent Georgian singers at La Scala, like Paata Burchuladze, Nino Surguladze, Ketevan Kemoklidze and Nino Machaidze. Your orchestra and choir are excellent, and a fantastic surprise to me. I toured around Tbilisi, which is wonderful and full of culture. The people are very warm, well-educated and civil. Badri Maysuradze (Artistic Director of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater), has participated in numerous performances of ‘La Traviata’ all around the world. This time, the performance is in more of a neoclassical style, with sets and costumes corresponding to Dumas’ epoch,” Laurent Gerber, Swiss director, told us.
“It is a real dream to create costumes for this opera. We have worked very hard, trying to reflect all of the characters traits in the costumes and accessories, and show the golden prison in which Violetta lives. All singers will wear different garments and adornments in order to demonstrate various characters and traits,” Ester Martin, Costume Designer said.
‘When I was offered to work on the scenography of ‘La Traviata’, the letter was accompanied with a photograph of a rich salon of the 19th century. This very photo became a sort of basis on the background of which the whole drama was developed, and on which I constructed the scenography” Massimo Bellando Randone, Scenographer, mentioned.
“I feel happy to be singing ‘La Traviata’ in my native country. I played this part in one of the Italian theaters, as well as in Deutche Opera Berlin. I think that Violetta is the most complicated role in the soprano repertoire. It comprises a lot of technical gradations,” Salome Jicia, who sings in the role of Violetta, commented.
“’La Traviata’ occupies a special place in my heart. I sang it during my student years. Having graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, I went to ‘Verdi’s Voices’, the most famous contest in Italy, and played the same part there. It was my European debut in Verdi’s theater and Verdi’s home town, where I got a thorough education in ‘Canto Verdiani’ (translation: singing in Verdi’s style). I have sung it in many theaters. I am always happy to be singing in ‘La Traviata’. Otar Jorjikia, singer of Alfredo's role, says.
“This is the story of a courtesan and a boy from high society. I play the part of the boy’s father, Giorgio Germont. I destroy their love. The opera proved to be more popular than the book. It is about elitism within society” Zaal Khelaia, Baritone, told GEORGIA TODAY before the premiere.
Tickets are on sale at Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater booking office, and online at www.tkt.ge
Maka Lomadze