Tune in on Saturday, March 28 at 1 p.m. for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of La Traviata, one of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s most acclaimed operas. WRTI will carry the broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House, as part of the Met’s Saturday matinee series.
Originally premiered in Venice in 1853 to a notoriously unsuccessful opening night, Verdi's La Traviata has since become one of the most beloved works in the operatic canon. It is considered to be the most performed opera of all time, followed closely by Mozart’s The Magic Flute. This Met production of Verdi’s opera will feature soprano Lisette Oropesa as Violetta, a role famous for its immense challenge and endless interpretive possibilities, as well as Tony award-winning director Michael Mayer.
La Traviata’s libretto, written by Francesco Maria Piave, tells the tragic story of Violetta, the titular “fallen woman”; a French courtesan who leaves behind her hectic lifestyle to marry the young, impassioned Alfredo. Alfredo’s father, Germont, is intent on separating the young couple in order to preserve his family’s reputation.
Cast:
- Lisette Oropesa as Violetta
- Piotr Buszewski as Alfredo
- Luca Salsi as Germont
Directed by Michael Mayer and conducted by Maestro Antonello Manacorda