Hanoi (VNA) – More than 100 artists from Italy's Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste performed Giuseppe Verdi's opera masterpiece La Traviata at Hanoi's Ho Guom Opera on July 30, marking the theatre's first collaboration with the prestigious Italian company.
First staged at Venice's Teatro La Fenice in 1853, La Traviata was adapted from Alexandre Dumas fils' La Dame aux Camélias (Camille). More than 170 years on, it remains one of the most enduring works in the operatic repertoire and is regularly performed at leading theatres worldwide.
Set in 19th-century Paris, the opera follows the tragic story of Violetta Valéry, exploring themes of love, sacrifice and social convention.
The production featured a distinguished cast from Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, including Italian soprano Maria Grazia Schiavo as Violetta Valéry, Albanian tenor Klodjan Kaçani as Alfredo Germont and Italian baritone Federico Longhi as Giorgio Germont. Italian pianist and conductor Vanessa Benelli Mosell led the orchestra.
The performance also featured the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the opera house's flagship ensembles, which regularly perform opera and symphonic works in Italy and on international stages.
Polo Giuliano, General Director of Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, described La Traviata as one of the finest works of Italian opera and a cornerstone of the country's cultural heritage.
He said the company was honoured to introduce the production to Vietnamese audiences, expressing confidence that the cast, led by experienced soprano Maria Grazia Schiavo in the role of Violetta, would resonate strongly with local opera lovers.
Giuliano also expressed his hope that the performance will pave the way for closer cooperation between the two theatres while bringing Italian opera to a wider audience in Vietnam.
A representative of Ho Guom Opera said the collaboration reflects the theatre's ambition to present world-class productions in Vietnam while strengthening its expertise in international-standard opera production through partnerships with leading foreign institutions.
La Traviata is scheduled for a second performance at Ho Guom Opera on July 31./.
