Is It Time To Fall In Love With La Traviata Again? — londonist.com

La Traviata continues at the ENO until 13 March. Ever fallen in love with someone you weren’t meant to fall in love with? That’s the crux of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata which, unusually for a story in this genre, sees an odd couple meet by chance and fall in love before one of them dies (at least pretend to look surprised). This latest revival arrives under something of a cloud at the English National Opera. Costly failures like the Damon Albarn-powered Dr Dee have seen it return to more populist fare, while the Arts Council have told the ENO to improve its business model or face funding cuts. You don’t need to be Sir Alan Sugar to spot the obvious solution in place here; a few classics from Italian masters like Verdi and Puccini will help bring in the traditional punters between upcoming newer shows like Stephen Sondheim’s take on Sweeney Todd featuring Bryn Terfel and Emma Thompson.

Read More