Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, 16 November 2025
Giuseppe Verdi: La traviata
The long-running Günter Krämer production of Verdi’s La traviata, premiered in 1993, returns with its familiar blend of elegance and quiet tension, drawing us once more into its shadowed world. What follows is a closer look at how this staging, now a house classic, continues to uncover fresh emotional truth in Violetta’s story.
It is a clean, concentrated production that keeps the focus firmly on Violetta and the music. Andreas Reinhardt’s dark room serves as the single setting, its meaning shifting from act to act. A massive chandelier presides over everything—warm and inviting in Act I, cold and unforgiving as the story darkens. Doors and mirrors subtly expand and contract Violetta’s world, turning glamour into something weighted and confining. Carlo Diappi’s costumes place the story somewhere between the late 19th and early 20th century, touched with a hint of modern elegance. Violetta moves from bright white to deep black and finally to washed-out tones as her strength fades. Flora’s party becomes a stylised procession of dancers and guests, a vision of society slowly tightening around the lovers. By the final act, the room is almost bare, with only the chandelier and a scatter of leaves remaining. The overall effect is classical yet lightly stylised, giving the singers space to carry the drama.
Lisette Oropesa offers a sensual, deeply human Violetta, shaping the role around vulnerability rather than glamour. Her focused soprano moves with ease and refinement, giving the music both agility and a quiet glow. Granit Musliu brings a convincing Alfredo, his lyrical tone paired with an impulsive, heartfelt energy. Luca Salsi completes the trio with a firm, resonant Germont, warm in colour yet unmistakably authoritative.
Henrik Nánási leads the performance with a vivid, sharply drawn reading of the score, bringing out its nervous rhythm as well as its tender corners. The Bayerisches Staatsorchester responds with unmistakable polish, playing with clarity, colour, and a natural ease that lets the drama breathe.
