Oper

Giuseppe Verdi

La Traviata

Melodramma in drei Akten

Text Alexandre Dumas (Sohn)

Sunday 15. September 2024 19:00 – 22:00 2 Intermissions Main Stage
Subscription 22

Ticket information

Season 2024/2025

Choose a day of the week and your favorite seats and enjoy five performances in one season.

The following performances are included in this subscription:

15. September 2024: LA TRAVIATA
03. November 2024: BILLY BUDD
15. December 2024: PALESTRINA
09. Febuary 2025: TOSCA
02. March 2025: BALLET: DIE KAMELIENDAME


Cast at
15. September 2024

Violetta Valéry

Flora Bervoix

Alfredo Germont

Giorgio Germont

Gaston von Létorières

Baron Douphol

Marquis von Obigny

Doktor Grenvil

Giuseppe, Violettas Diener

Diener bei Flora

Juraj Kuchar

Musikalische Leitung

Inszenierung

Bühne

Robert Cousins

Kostüme

Alice Babidge

Licht

James Farncombe

Video

Zakk Hein

About the Production

Short Summary

La traviata tells the story of Violetta Valéry, an object of desire for sale in Parisian society, who finds love in Alfredo but gives in to his father's social arrogance and separates from him.

In his spectacular production, which juggles huge video screens and social media, Simon Stone brings this story into the present day. Violetta is a Parisian it-girl, an influencer who remains trapped in the Instagram bubble and whose life is at the mercy of virtual presentation and showmanship. She is lonely in the public eye - and an outsider.

La Traviata

Storyline

Violetta Valéry, the object of desire for sale in Parisian society, celebrates with abandon - only seemingly recovered after a long illness. Alfredo, a young man from the provinces, praises true love in a drinking song.

Violetta, on the other hand, is committed to the carefree enjoyment of life. In the midst of the relaxed festivities, she suffers a fainting spell. As she withdraws from the crowd, Alfredo confesses his love for her, which Violetta refuses to accept: she can only promise him friendship, not love. But she soon finds herself caught in a conflict of emotions: should she give up her previous life and allow her feelings?

Violetta and Alfredo are a couple and have retired to the country. Violetta has since incurred large debts, which she keeps secret from Alfredo.

When he learns from Violetta's housekeeper Annina that Violetta is selling her possessions in order to continue financing their household, he travels to Paris to provide the necessary funds.

During his absence, Alfredo's father demands that Violetta end the relationship, which jeopardizes the family's reputation and thus Alfredo's sister's engagement. After a long struggle, Violetta agrees to sacrifice herself for her sister's happiness. She writes a farewell letter, eludes the returning Alfredo and secretly travels to Paris. Alfredo, to whom she has her letter delivered, suspects that Baron Douphol has stolen Violetta from him. When he finds her invitation to a party, he follows her to take revenge.

The orgiastic party gets very lively. Alfredo wins a game of chance and provokes Douphol. Violetta wants to prevent a further escalation and asks Alfredo to talk to her, but conceals the real reason for her break-up. Pressed by Alfredo, she declares that she loves the Baron. Full of anger and disappointment, Alfredo - to the horror of everyone present - insults Violetta in the worst possible way.

The impoverished Violetta is close to death. She learns from a message from Alfredo's father that he now knows the truth and is aware of her sacrifice.

But the lover, who finally arrives, finds only a dying woman, just like his father, who has been rushed here.

A visit to the performance is recommended from the age of 14.

Act 1 30 MIN
Intermission 25 MIN
Act 2 65 MIN
Intermission 25 MIN
Act 3 30 MIN

Simon Stone's production takes the contemporary nature of La Traviata literally - Violetty Valéry lives here in a very contemporary Paris full of glitz and glamor. In lavishly produced video sequences, the director and his team also continue the self-confident character of Violetta already created by Verdi and librettist Soave: as an influencer with millions of Instagram followers and her own perfume line, she is perfectly capable of looking after herself - as long as her state of health allows it. The realism and opulence of the videos contrasts attractively with Bob Cousins' reduced stage aesthetic, in which realistic stage elements appear to be presented as if on a semantic platter.

For this production, we recommend a minimum age of 14.

La Traviata contains some of the most famous melodies in opera literature - Violetta's "Amami, Alfredo" and the notorious drinking song "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" are just two of the numbers that have long since taken on a life of their own outside the operatic context. However, their quality only becomes truly understandable within this context: "What makes Verdi so special beyond the 'solite convenienze' [the binding dramaturgical rules of his time, note] is above all his melodic invention, which arises less from a sense of flexible cantilenas than from the dramatic gesture. It gives contour to the characters without, of course, neglecting the interests of the singing stars. Verdi's composing is highly empathetic; instead of presenting the events on stage like an omniscient narrator through the musical movement, Verdi slips into his roles, as it were, and lets them speak for themselves." (Silke Leopold).

Alexandre Dumas' novel La dame aux camélias(The Lady of the Camellias, 1848) was such a great success that the author adapted the work into a play. Giuseppe Verdi knew both versions; he saw the play version at its premiere in Paris in 1852. In the adaptation by librettist Francesco Maria Piave, Marguerite Gautier became Violetta Valéry and the sensational play first became one of the first realistic operas ever, then - in the course of history and without Verdi's intervention - the third part of the so-called "Trilogia popolare" (with Il Trovatore and Rigoletto), and finally the most popular and most frequently performed Verdi opera of all time.

© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper
© Wiener Staatsoper

This is a co-production with the Opéra National de Paris.

FAQ

Tickets for our standing room can be purchased online or at the Bundestheater box office from 10 am on the day of the performance. BundestheaterCard holders can book standing room tickets online the day before the performance.

In addition, a fixed contingent of standing room tickets is available for regular evening performances from 80 minutes before the start of the performance at our standing room box office (Operngasse entrance).

Our operas are sung in the original languages - these vary depending on the work.

At each seat, subtitles in different languages can be switched on or off via a separate subtitle screen. In addition to the original language of the opera, you can choose from up to eight languages: German, English, Italian, French, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin).

In the event of a change of performance, you can of course return or exchange your tickets.

As changes to the cast cannot be ruled out due to illnesses or other hindrances of artists, there is no entitlement to a refund of the ticket price or exchange in this case.

Tickets cannot be returned or exchanged if you are not admitted to the auditorium due to being late (even after the interval).

About Your Visit

Cloakroom

The cloakrooms are located next the the entrances at the Operngasse. You can find additional cloakrooms on the left and right side of the balcony and the gallery and in the boxes. All cloakrooms are free of charge.

Be on Time

We ask you to be on time when attending the performances.
Entry to the auditorium is not allowed after the performance has started. This also applied after the break.

Food and Drink

Our gastronomy opens at the same time entry is permitted. You can enjoy some snacks and drinks before the performance starts or you can book a table for the break.

Practical Information

You can find more practical information regarding your visit (e.g. Dresscode, barrier-free-access, …) here.

 

Discounts, Subscriptions, Cycles

Discounts

The Vienna State Opera offers the following discounts:

  • Under 27
  • Children- & Youth-Tickets
  • BundestheaterCard
  • Ballett-Bonus
  • Ö1-Club
  • Culture Pass »Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur«
  • Disability ID
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Subscriptions

Choose a week-day and your favorite seat and enjoy five performances.

  • 4x Opera, 1x Ballet
  • spread out over the whole season
  • up to 30 % discount compared to the regular ticket price
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Cycles

Buy multiple performances as a package!

  • big selection of different cycles
  • bundled together by composers, artists or topics
  • spread out over the whole season
  • up to 10 % discount compared to the regular ticket price
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