LA STORIA DELLA TRAVIATA (THE STORY OF LA TRAVIATA)
One-act reduction by ANDREA STANISCI
(based on La Traviata by GIUSEPPE VERDI)
New orchestration by EMANUELE STRACCHI
Konzertmeister STEFANO FURINI
Directed by ANDREA STANISCI
Set and costume design by ANDREA STANISCI
Lighting design by FRANCESCO SIVI
A new production by the Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, Trieste
Characters and performers
Violetta Valéry
YULIA MERKUDINOVA (8, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 May)
ANNA GRAF (9, 12, 13, 15, 16 May)
Alfredo Germont
BRAYAN AVILA MARTINEZ (8, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 May)
KRISTIAN MARUŠIĆ (9, 12, 13, 15, 16 May)
Giorgio Germont
JURE POČKAJ (8, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 May)
GANGSOON KIM (9, 12, 13, 15, 16 May)
Annina/Narrator DANIELA GATTORNO
Orchestra and technical crew of the Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste
From 8 May, the Teatro Verdi renews its long-standing educational series at the Ridotto Victor de Sabata with a newly-commissioned production entitled La Storia della Traviata (The Story of La Traviata): the most famous tragic tale in opera is thus reborn in a one-hour format with chamber orchestra, thanks to a new adaptation by Andrea Stanisci, who also directs the production, and a musical reduction by Emanuele Stracchi, both specifically conceived to introduce school audiences and families to Verdi’s masterpiece, remaining faithful to the original while adopting the sensitivity required for educational and outreach purposes.
Following Mozart, Rossini, the less frequently performed Salieri, and musical fairy tales, the Ridotto Victor de Sabata now opens a new narrative strand within its established “Opere in un Atto” (“Opera in One Act”) format, turning to the grand, dramatic repertoire of nineteenth-century opera. At the forefront of this new direction stands one of Verdi’s most iconic works, La Traviata, the much-debated masterpiece that concludes his so-called “Popular Trilogy”.
Thanks to the work on the text by director and designer Andrea Stanisci, La Traviata is presented in a new yet faithful form, which he describes as follows: “The story of Violetta is told by the person who, in Verdi’s opera, remains at her side from beginning to end: her maid Annina. In this production she becomes the devoted guardian of her memory, of her joys and her sorrows. Perhaps the only one who truly knew her, who always supported and accompanied her without ever asking anything in return. Annina’s narration thus becomes the thread that binds together the opera’s most moving arias and musical moments.”. This offers a more intimate, human perspective through which to introduce young audiences and families to a work originally conceived to épater le bourgeois – to provoke and scandalise – both in Alexandre Dumas fils’ novel La Dame aux Camélias, inspired by the historical figure of Marie Duplessis, the most famous courtesan of Louis-Philippe’s Paris, and in Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto for Verdi’s opera. The chamber arrangement is by composer, pianist and conductor Emanuele Stracchi, who explains: “The reduction takes the form of a work of synthesis aimed at preserving the identity of the opera in a more immediate format. The orchestral forces, reduced in scale with single woodwind players, also contribute to greater transparency of sound and, in the absence of a chorus, to a stronger emphasis on the solo voices. At the centre remains Violetta, a complex and modern figure whose inner journey continues to resonate with today’s audiences with undiminished power. This reduced version of La Traviata thus presents itself as a “gateway” to the world of opera. An invitation to listen, placing the essential and the extraordinary effectiveness of Verdi’s music firmly in the foreground.”
On the podium is Konzertmeister Stefano Furini, a longstanding pillar of the Verdi Orchestra. On stage, the role of Violetta is performed by the outstanding Ukrainian soprano Yulia Merkudinova, alternating with the Russian Anna Graf, while Alfredo Germont is portrayed by the young rising tenors Brayan Avila Martinez and Kristian Marušić. Giorgio Germont will be performed by the accomplished Slovenian baritone Jure Počkaj and the young Korean baritone Gangsoon Kim. The Trieste-based actress, director and teacher Daniela Gattorno will appear as the devoted Annina, serving as a narrator actively involved in the stage action.
Victor de Sabata Hall – Ridotto of the Teatro Verdi
Friday 8 May 2026, 11.00 am
Saturday 9 May 2026, 11.00 am
Tuesday 12 May 2026, 11.00 am
Wednesday 13 May 2026, 11.00 am
Friday 15 May 2026, 11.00 am
Saturday 16 May 2026, 11.00 am
Tuesday 19 May 2026, 11.00 am
Wednesday 20 May 2026, 11.00 am and afternoon performance
Thursday 21 May 2026, 11.00 am and afternoon performance
Friday 22 May 2026, 11.00 am
Saturday 23 May 2026, 11.00 am and 6.00 pm
Tickets: €10 standard; €5 for under-18s and school students. Information and reservations for schools and groups: [email protected].
Tickets are available from the theatre box office, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday – 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. On performance days, the box office opens one hour before the start of the performance. Closed on Mondays.