Across Oceania

LA TRAVIATA

Opera Australia will present La Traviata on Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour from March 24^th to April 15^th 2012, a very ambitious project with amazing scenery that will happen three years in a row from 2012.

The story

 La Traviata is one of the world’s greatest operas! It is a tumultuous romantic story between Alfredo and Violetta during 3 passionate acts.

Act I : Violetta is a young girl affected by tuberculosis. She throws a party to mark her return to health under the protection of Baron Duphol. She meets Alfredo who falls madly in love with her and declares his love to her after the party.

 Act II : Alfredo and Violetta live together in the countryside but his family doesn’t approve the relationship between the two and would like Violetta to leave Alfredo. She writes him a letter explaining her decision, which leaves Alfredo devastated.

They meet again later at another party where Violetta comes with Baron Duphol. Desperation gets to Violetta who declares to Alfredo that she loves the Baron when Alfredo wants her to leave the party with him.   Violetta is then victim of a public humiliation by Alfredo.

Act III : Few hours of life are left to Violetta when she reads a letter from Alfredo’s father telling her that Alfredo may have left the country. But when he is aware of the desperation Violetta was in, at the party when she told him she loved the Baron, Alfredo comes back to her for her last moments of life.

The composer

Italian Guissepe Verdi started in Milan in 1832 with the help of Antonio Barezzi, a merchant who trusted his talent. After his studies, he became the music director of Busseto and then returned to Milan where he started producing operas.

Verdi wrote numerous operas such as MacBeth, Nabucco, La Traviata, Don Carlos and Falstaff, several of which got a very high success. He soon became the symbol of Italian dependence until the beginning of the XIX^th century when he died in Milan.

His work is absolutely incredible and the various operas have been performed in the biggest cities in the world.

The director

Franscesca Zambelle will stage the first part of this magical production happening live in Sydney next year and during the 3 next seasons. Her experience is impressive: between all, she directed West Side Story in 2004, The Litlle Mermaid on Broadway and Carmen for Opera Australia in 2008. She received many awards from all over the world for her great performances.

The conductor

Brian Castles-Onion will have the wonderful opportunity to conduct La Traviata on Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. He is known as one of Australia’s most-known conductors and pianists. He studied in various Australian states and went abroad before returning to Opera Australia in 1994. He has prestigious performances abroad such as New York Opera and Rossini Festival in Italy.

The cast

Violetta :
Emma Matthews is an Australian Soprano now recognized as one of Australia’s most prestigious sopranos. Some of her parts include Juliette in Romeo and Juliette, Rosina in The Barber of Seville o Pagagena and Pamina in The Magic Flute, that is to say extremely prestigious parts in very famous and outstanding Operas.
 Rachelle Durkin is also an Australia Soprano who is considered one of Opera’s most striking young artists. She played in world-known Le nozze di Figaro as Countess Almaviva, Cunegonde in Candide or Donna Anna in Don Giovanni which are ver-awarded Operas know all over the world!

Alfredo Germont :
South Korean Ji-Min Park has an incredible background since he studied at the Seoul National University (South Korea) and The Vienna Conservatory in Austria. His performances count Parsifal, La Traviata, Ariadne auf Naxos and extracts of the Marriage of Figaro and Il viaggio a Reims.
Italian Gianlucia Terranova also has a powerful background since he started his career in Rome with Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Nabucco. He also acted in Madama Butterfly and Les contes d’Hoffman.

 Giorgio Germont :
Although he was born in Australia, Jonathan Summers went to Britain to study and perform his Opera Debut in 1975. In 36 years, he has performed in all the main companies of Britain and abroad, in operas like The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Otello, La Boheme…
Australian Warwick Fyfe studied at the prestigious Victoria College of the Arts before performing in the Victoria State Opera and Opera Australia Young Artist programs. Today he is a soloist with Opera Australia and has received multiple awards for his performances.

The stage

It will be built over the water of the Royal Botanic Garden and will stand in a stunning environment with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as background setting. It represents the most ambitious project of Opera Australia so far.

The Sponsorship

The sponsorship has been allocated by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture under Dr Haruhisa Handa’s direction, true supporter of cultural events around the world.

This type of event looks forward to attract numerous tourists from various markets like Australia and New Zealand but also international markets like Asia, Europe and the US.

Don’t miss this amazing event and live a superb night listening to one of the world’s main Operas in the Sydney Bay!

Book your ticket with Across Australia: reservations@acrossaustralia.com