Giuseppe Verdi "La Traviata"

At the suggestion of the famous Austrian playwright and opera critic Marcel Prawi, the St. Margarethen Opera Festival was founded in 1996. Since then, operas and concerts of classical and pop music have been performed on the open-air stage in the quarry of the same name every summer.

In 2008, the festival featured Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata (based on the libretto by Maria Piave, based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils, The Lady of the Camellias) performed by stars of the world opera scene and the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir conducted by Ernst Merzendorfer.

The opera's plot unfolds in Paris in the mid-19th century. The courtesan Violetta throws a lavish reception at her home in honor of her recovery. A living room full of friends, fun, laughter, dancing... Among the guests is Alfred Germont, who has arrived in the capital. At first sight, he falls in love with Violetta. The young man's sincere confessions touch her heart, and despite many doubts, she makes an early date with him.

The heroes leave Paris and settle in a small country house. They are incredibly in love with each other, but their life cannot be called happy: Alfredo has no income, and Violetta secretly sells her property. The young man finds out about this and leaves for Paris to settle financial issues. In his absence, Georges Germont comes to Violetta. He asks her to stop the relationship that disgraces her son - it casts a shadow on the whole family and jeopardizes the wedding of Alfredo's sister. Reminding her of the brevity of youthful passion, Germont breaks the will of the unfortunate woman, who gives him her word that she will leave Alfredo forever ...

At Flora's ball, Alfredo is lucky in the game. By the time Douphol and Violetta arrive, he has already won enough and is drunk enough. Having unsuccessfully tried to talk to his beloved, the heated young man throws money in her face in front of everyone as payment for the time she spent with him.

After what she has experienced, Violetta never gets out of bed. The doctor does not give up hope, but suddenly Alfred appears, having learned from his father about the reasons that forced the girl to break up with him. Germont also arrives, begging for forgiveness. The poor girl thinks that she is getting better, but a moment later, with words of joy on her lips, she dies.

PERFORMERS:

Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir

Conductor: Ernst Merzendorfer

Violetta Valéry: Christiane Kaiser

Flora Bervois: Magdalena Anna Hofmann

Annina: Stefanie Kopinitz

Alfredo Germont: Jean-François Borra

Artistic Director of the Festival: Wolfgang Werner

St. Margarethen, Austria, 2008