Russian State Ballet – live on-stage in Buxton

The renowned Russian State Ballet is in town with Verdi’s La Traviata, one of the most popular operas of all time. The production (at Buxton Opera House this month) boasts an impressive cast of world class singers and a live Orchestra with over 30 musicians.

 162 years after its 1853 debut, La Traviata is still recognised as one of the most emotionally engaging operas. The plot centres around courtesan Violetta, who is stuck in a round of endless parties. Alfredo, a geeky writer, convinces her to live in the country. Deeply in love, all is blissful contentment until some home truths convince her to leave Alfredo and head back into the arms of another… Shadowing Violetta is the disease that often afflicts ‘morally questionable’ 19th-century women, consumption.

The title La Traviata means literally ‘the fallen woman’, or perhaps more figuratively, ‘the woman who strayed’. The plot is based on the play La Dame aux Camélias, adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas – an account of the author’s true-life affair with the beautiful demi-mondaine, Marie Duplessis.

Verdi’s music encompasses an astonishing range of moods and emotions, from Alfredo’s fresh-faced charms to Violetta’s vivid effervescence (perfectly captured in ‘Sempre libera’, a vocal showpiece to rival any other).

La Traviata takes place at Buxton Opera House on Thursday 17 September at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced from £20 to £36 and discounts are available. To buy tickets or for more information call the Box Office on 01298 72190 or visit www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk