MAY OPERA EVENINGS 2017

One of the cornerstones of the operatic repertoire, the score of “Traviata” is littered with fantastic tunes that are widely popular on the opera and concert stages throughout the world. The ingenious music, but moreover, the taut plot and vivid characters that speak to our universal nature place “Traviata” among the most popular and most intimate opera masterpieces of Giuseppe Verdi. Macedonian audience eagerly awaits every performance of Ana Durlovski on domestic stage. The world famous soprano continues to gain dazzling success on European and world opera stages, astonishing both critics and audiences with perfect technique, precise intonation, voluminous and crystal clear timbre. Convincingly, with laser-like intonative accuracy, captivating coloratura and perfect phraseology, Durlovski has been interpreting the opera roles in Germany, Spain, USA…”Traviata” with Ana Durlovski in the title role, directed by renowned German director Verena Stoiber is a powerful, visually stunning production, with daring and strong stage action.  A true feast for the ears and eyes at the opening of the 45^th May Opera Evenings awaits.

Conductor: Gianluca Martinenghi (Italy)
Ass.conductor: Ivan Eminovikj
Director: Verena Stoiber (Germany)
Set designer and Costume designer: Sophia Schneider (Germany)
Choreographer: Sasha Evtimova
Light designer: Vasko Lisichov
Concert master: Kliment Todoroski
Ass. Director: Ljupka Jakimovska, Trajko Jordanovski
Ass. Costume designer: Brankica Jordanovska, Ines Golja, Dragica Kirandziska
Ass. Chorus master: Gjurgjica Dashikj, Jasmina Gjorgjeska
Piano accompanists: Elena Siljanoska, Janinka Nevcheva, Andreja Naunov
Stage managers: Mirche Stojchevski, Ljupcho Polizov, Dragan Kostadinovikj, Marko Pavlevski
Prompters: Svetlana Georgieva, Pavlina Zdravkova, Nevenа Georgieva

CAST:
Violetta Valéry: Ana Durlovski
Alfredo Germont: Darko Neshovski
Giorgio Germont: Boris Trajanov
Flora: Nikolina Janevska
Annina: Aleksandra Lazarovska-Vasilevski
Barone Douphol: Vladimir Sazdovski
Marchese d’Obigny: Dragan Ampov
Gastone: Nikola Stojchevski
D-r Grenvil: Borko Bidzovski, Dime Petrov
Giuseppe: Igor Ginovski
Comessario: Ernes Ibraimovski

The Orchestra, Choir & Ballet ensemble of Macedonian Opera and Ballet

About “La Traviata”…

The most important thing for me in opera generally is to see real characters and real emotions on stage, not just some superficial standing and singing. I am very interested in the stories people have to tell. For me Verdi was one of the greatest storytellers of all times. A real man of the theater who always gives his characters time to think before they sing and time to react to the things that are happening. With Traviata he once more broke a taboo. He didn’t bring kings and queens or heroes on stage, like composers used to do until then. He brought “normal” people on stage for the first time. And even more than that: He let a mistress be the main character of an opera. In Traviata we find ourselves in a so-called “demimonde”. We see Violetta and her female mistress friends having parties with the richest men of the society. These men who surely are married and have children at home, can afford to spend their free time with young beautiful women. In return they pay for the apartments and the cars of these women and give them other expensive presents like jewelry or dresses that make them look even more attractive and desirable. This way of “еscort lifestyle” is nothing that we only know from 1850. It still exists and will probably always do. What interests me most about that is the hypocrisy behind it. People are talking about how vulgar some women look or behave and on the other hand love to watch half naked girls in video clips, on catwalks or in commercials. Sex sells – that’s for sure.
For me that is the hypocrisy of a patriarchal society, where it is not a problem to have a wife and some girlfriends aside, but it is a big problem when someone, in this case it is Alfredo, breaks the rules and falls in love with one of the mistresses and even worse – wants to live with her. This is not how this male dominated world works and it cannot happen. To prevent this we need Germont, for me the most hypocrite of all characters, who talks about honor and pride and doesn’t mind to destroy other people’s lives for the sake of his own reputation. He may also act out of jealousy of the younger generation who might see things in a different way. I think that especially in our days we are confronted with egoistic and narcissistic behavior of certain people that leads to catastrophic consequences. We need to try to fight against it with lots of love and passion, like Violetta and Alfredo do. And even if it is too late for them in the end, they may have changed something for the future.

Verena Stoiber – director