La traviata by Verdi, Dt. 25 Jul. 2017, De (2017/2017), Dirigit per Corina van Eijk,, Director musical Tjalling Wijnstra, Opera Spanga, Spangen, Netherlands

In the lead up to Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018, Opera Spanga is presenting from July 20th to August 5th 2017 Giuseppe Verdi’s classic and most performed opera La Traviata in Spanga. This production is the second in our LwD18 triptych; Macbeth (2016) – La Traviata (2017) - Aida (2018). Giuseppe Verdi, feminist avant la lettre Verdi shows the human being, in all his ugliness, in all his glory, without judgment. With La Traviata Verdi cut loose from the bel canto opera and took a first step in the direction of a thoroughly through-composed work with a large current curve. Verdi proved in an extraordinarily original manner that he could use the orchestra both as an illustrating element in the creation of situations and where necessary as a commentary on the actions of the characters. It seems as if Verdi landed in a new opera genre with La Traviata. Verdi himself called La Traviata a simple and passionate drama. It is the informal beginning of verism. The audience is finally confronted with a contemporary story without historical distance to the characters. This Traviata takes place in a time of change in the world of prostitution, on the dividing line between fancy clubs and sleazy work places. This Traviata is a protest against the continuous spread of trade in women which would no longer exist if there were no demand for women to fuel its needs. We present an indictment of the lack of civilization, an indictment against barbarism.