FROM PRE-WAR PARIS TO THE GREEK UNDERWORLD: OPERA NORTH RETURNS TO THE LOWRY WITH THREE UNMISSABLE SHOWS

One of the world’s most popular operas comes to the North West this November as Opera North brings its critically-acclaimed production of La traviata to The Lowry.

Opera North will be at The Lowry, Salford, from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 November with La Traviata, Orfeoed Euridice and Orpheus.

Back by popular demand, La Traviata captures all the glitz and glamour of pre-WW1 Paris as we follow the tragic tale of Violetta, a hugely popular courtesan who unexpectedly falls in love with Alfredo, a young bourgeois. Unbeknown to her lover, Violetta is seriously ill. Will their romance survive his family’s and society’s disapproval before it is all too late?

This riveting tale of a scandalous relationship contains some of the best-known melodies in opera, many of which have appeared in films and advertising campaigns. For the three performances at The Lowry on Tuesday 15, Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 November, two talented casts will be sharing the main roles with sopranos Alison Langer and Máire Flavin singing Violetta and tenors Nico Darmanin and Oliver Johnston taking on the part of her lover Alfredo.

As Alison says: “La traviata is an absolutely perfect gateway into the world of opera if you haven’t seen one yet. The music is truly beautiful and you will definitely recognise a lot of it. I also feel like we could all take a leaf out of Violetta’s book. Selflessness is a quality we don’t see much in our daily lives right now. She is an amazing example to people everywhere and, if you see her story, it would be hard not to want to be more Violetta!”

On Saturday 19 November, another love story moves into the spotlight as audiences get the opportunity to see Orpheus, an innovative new staging of Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo. This reimagining of one of the earliest surviving operas has been created in collaboration with South Asian Arts-uk and weaves a new musical tapestry from western baroque and Indian classical music.

Directed by Anna Himali Howard with sets and costumes by Leslie Travers, the setting of one of the most famous Greek myths is relocated to a wedding party in a contemporary British garden. The opera takes place on the day musician Orpheus weds Eurydice. Their joy is shattered when Eurydice dies suddenly, and Orpheus, heartbroken, vows to travel to the underworld to find his new wife and return her to life.

Anna comments: “This is a very special collaboration, and it presents us with unique opportunities to express the themes of the story: the joy of love, the pain of loss, and what happens when the underworld comes to you. We’re able to draw from multiple traditions, disciplines and aesthetics to tell a story which has a universal experience at its heart. I hope that audiences will be captivated and moved by the transcendent music and intimate storytelling of the piece.”

The Orpheus myth gets another outing the previous day, Friday 18 November, when a concert performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice is sung by a cast including Alice Coote as Orfeo, Fflur Wyn as Euridice, and Daisy Brown as Amor. Opera North’s Principal Guest Conductor, Antony Hermus, conducts.