"La Traviata," the renowned opera by Giuseppe Verdi, has been staged at the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) as from January 19.
This version of the opera, first put on stage in 2010, features a unique "mirror" stage design, aiming to visualize the vanity of Parisian high society in the 19th century.
The "mirror" stage, though beautiful and delicate, put a big challenge for the stage composition and performers' positioning. However, the cast overcame it, and the gave a lively effect on their performance.
A big mirror hangs above the stage during the opera "La Traviata."/Photo courtesy of the National Center for Performing Arts
The heroine, Violetta Valéry, was co-played by Maria Mudryak from Kazakhstan and Chinese Soprano Zhou Xiaolin. The leading male character, Alfredo Germont, is co-performed by Shi Yijie and Xue Haoyin. Other artists include Fabian Veloz, Yuan Chenye, Zhang Yuan, Kou Jing, etc.
The opera is conducted by Renato Palumbo this time. He's so familiar with the melody that he could lead the cast even without seeing any notations.
As Palumbo introduced, "La Traviata" can be called as "perfect" in the perspective of dramatic arts. It depicts characters in a nuanced and subtle narrative, and its plot is inducing throughout the performance.
Performers Shi Yijie(L) and Maria Mudryak(R) is on stage during the opera "La Traviata." /Photo courtesy of the National Center for Performing Arts
"As we all know, The Lady of the Camellias is one of the most difficult operas, and it is an honor for me as a conductor to cooperate with NCPA on this work," said Palumbo on Friday, according to the Global Times.
This is the fifth time this opera has been staged at the NCPA, and every time the tickets were all sold out very fastly, according to the Global Times.
Dancers perform onstage during the opera "La Traviata." /Photo courtesy of the National Center for Performing Arts
Adapted from the work of Alexandre Dumas fils "The Lady of the Camellias," the opera tells the meandering and tragic romance between Parisian courtesan Violetta Valery and young bourgeois Alfredo Germont, which ends with Violetta's death.
Since its premiere in Venice, Italy in 1853, the opera has been well received by the public and was deemed one of Verdi's most important legacies.
(Top Photo: Performers Guan Zhijing(L), Maria Mudryak(C, down), and Zhang Yuan(R) perform on the stage. /Photo courtesy of the National Center for Performing Arts)