Cabildo continues its policy of touring the island with Ópera de Tenerife’s season operas. In May, The Traviata will be put on at Magma Arte & Congresos, in Adeje, and in the gardens of the former Hotel Taoro, in Puerto de la Cruz. The performances take place on the 11th and 12th in the south (Adeje) and on the 18th and 19th in the north (Puerto de la Cruz). The Regional Ministry for Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands and Puerto de la Cruz Town Council collaborate with the Cabildo in this initiative.

The details were revealed today, Friday, 1st by Island Director for Culture, José Luis Rivero; regional deputy minister for Tourism, Cristóbal de la Rosa; Culture councillor of Puerto de la Cruz, Sandra Rodríguez, and the production stage director Alejandro Abrante.

Rivero explained that “this is the second of the three-year Ópera Pocket performance of this opera; this scheme has three goals: first, it must be a quality local production made entirely in Tenerife; the second goal set out by President Carlos Alonso, is to spread  cultural elements across the island; it’s been a real challenge to devise a way of producing an opera and performing it out of the Auditorio, even in the open air; thirdly, bring opera to new audiences; the best way of doing it is taking opera to places where there is usually no opera following”. In short, the Island director for Culture added that, “we want to bring opera to as many people as possible”.

Cristóbal de la Rosa pointed out that “Magma belongs to the Government of the Canary Islands and the company that runs the venue was very happy to host this great quality product”. The Regional Deputy Minister pointed out that “we want opera to attract both tourists and local people; we want to blend tourist and cultural activities, in order to become a destination-experience”.

Puerto de la Cruz councillor, Sandra Rodríguez, said that “we’re delighted to welcome an opera, especially to the gardens of former Hotel Taoro, a landmark in our municipality”, and added that “it’s a great opportunity to showcase a story like this, with the current feminist spirit”.

Alejandro Abrante said that “it’s been a very exciting project from the start; we’ve been faithful to Verdi’s score”. The stage director stated that “we’ve had the help of La Laguna University and of students of CIFP Las Indias, who have collaborated in making the costumes”. Abrante pointed out that “culture must encourage feminism and remove the male-centred values of society. The Traviata has a lot to say in this regard”.

This Ópera de Tenerife production has been made on the island entirely and will be put on as part of the Ópera Pocket scheme, which follows the cultural lines set out in Cabildo’s Tenerife 2030 strategy, whose aim is to bring opera to new audiences by taking it to different venues across the island. The Traviata was first presented in the 2017-2018 Ópera de Tenerife season, being performed at Paraninfo of La Laguna University and in Garachico.

Alejandro Abrante portrays the atmosphere and the characters Verdi employed to depict the details of a male-centred society. Abrante also looks into this aspect through the psychological features of the three characters Verdi took into account to compose the opera: Alphonsine Duplessis, Marguerite Gautier and Violetta Valèry.

Jorge Cabrera’s stage design, which has been technically conceived to take the opera out of the usual stage, will transport viewers to a 19th century Paris where constructive elements and the new materials brought by the industrial revolution, like forged iron or glass, blend together.

Alessandro Palumbo is the musical director, his fifth time in Ópera de Tenerife after participating in Don Quichotte (Massenet) in 2014; Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck) in 2015, Don Pasquale (Donizetti) in 2016 and The Traviata (Verdi) in 2018. This is his second time leading Orquesta de la Ópera de Tenerife [Ópera de Tenerife Orchestra].

The cast includes Julia Muzychenko (soprano); David Astorga (tenor); Nina Solodovnikova (soprano); Gillén Mungía (tenor); Daniel Terenzi (baritone); Pablo Gálvez (baritone); Christina Campsall (mezzo soprano); Francesco Venuti (baritone); Borja Molina (barítono); Aleksandr Utkin (bass); María José Torres (soprano); Badel Albelo (tenor); Ángel Silva (bajo); Árgel Campos (tenor) and Néstor Suárez (tenor). The production also features Coro de la Ópera de Tenerife, directed by Carmen Cruz.

Costumes are by Tenerife designer Javier Caraballero and have been made by the Auditorio de Tenerife dressmaking team with the occasional collaboration of students of CIFP Las Indias, following a detailed study of the uses and customs of the period, in order to make them as realistic as possible. 

Based on Alexandre Dumas’s novel Camille, The Traviata is one of the best-known compositions by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). It begins at a party taking place in a luxurious hall, where courtesan Violetta Valéry meets young Alfredo Germont. The act ends with the popular toast Libiamo ne’Lieti calici. This piece praises the hedonistic life in 19th century Paris, that succumbs to the material pleasures of life.

From that moment on, viewers will feel a range of emotions, from joy to frivolity, gender violence to sadness, through a succession of situations that will make them feel all the phases of deepest love. The lovers will suffer the consequences of their social milieu, highly male-centred. The mishaps in their romantic adventure will lead them to an unavoidable dramatic outcome.

Tickets for this show will be available shortly at Auditorio de Tenerife box office, from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Saturday; on www.auditoriodetenerife.com or by telephone, calling 902 317 327.