Opera’s best-loved romance is a fusion of melodies and love against the odds.

Verdi’s La Traviata comes to Canterbury courtesy of Glyndebourne this week.

A tale of two young lovers separated by the cruelty of society and fate, it is one of opera’s most powerful and enduring romances. When Alfredo, an innocent young man from the country, meets Parisian courtesan Violetta, he falls deeply in love. But can Violetta escape her dark past and find a new beginning with him? And will his family ever consent to their relationship?

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The only Verdi opera set in the composer’s day, La Traviata still has a contemporary feel, with its truthful exploration of love and desire and the complications of human emotion.

The production by Tom Cairns is a contemporary classic set to some of opera’s most memorable tunes, from rousing drinking songs to passionate love-duets.

The production is at the Marlowe Theatre on Tuesday, November 6 and Friday, November 9, and will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Glyndebourne also present La Traviata: Behind The Curtain on Thursday, November 8.

The company invite audiences to experience opera as never before, revealing the musical and dramatic mastery behind the production.

You can watch as it is effectively taken apart and put back together again, to see how Verdi works the emotionally-charged story.

Glyndebourne has been home to an opera house since 1934, which also has touring productions.

DETAILS

La Traviata will be at the Marlowe Theatre on Tuesday, November 6 and Friday, November 9, and La Traviata: Behind The Curtain is on Thursday, November 8. To book go to marlowetheatre.com or call 01227 787787.