5 reasons to see La Traviata

  • Published on 17.7.2026

1. Verdi’s music offers one hit after another

Even if one is not an opera fan or a regular visitor, one certainly knows the famous drinking song from La Traviata, “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici”. It is a real showstopper and it is almost impossible to sit still or resist joining the chorus from the audience. Violetta’s aria “È strano!” is musically complex and deeply moving. It offers an intimate look into the turbulent emotional world of the courtesan. The final duet between Violetta and Alfredo, “Parigi, o cara”, is full of sweetness and tenderness. It lets a quiet glimmer of hope appear on the horizon. 

 

2. A new production from Göteborg

The new production from the Gothenburg Opera has its premiere with us and travels to its home stage only afterwards. The audience can expect a vivid and modern interpretation with deep psychological reflections that place the human drama at the center. It is directed by the award-winning Silvia Paoli. We cannot reveal too much yet, as we must respect the tradition of theatre secrets, but one promise can be made: This operatic experience will be exciting and unforgettable. 

 

The audience can expect a vivid and modern interpretation with deep psychological reflections that place the human drama at the center.

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3. La Traviata tells a story that breaks the heart

It follows a love that cannot exist and a woman who sacrifices her own happiness for the honour of the man she loves. When Violetta and Alfredo leave Paris, they are in truth escaping Violetta’s past as a courtesan. A man of Alfredo’s standing cannot marry a courtesan. It would irreparably damage his family’s reputation. When Alfredo’s father makes this clear to Violetta, she understands that there can be no future for her and Alfredo. Gravely ill, she returns to Paris and falls back into her former life. That world casts her aside without remorse when her health finally collapses and she succumbs to tuberculosis. Alfredo knows nothing of her true reason for leaving and becomes angry. Only too late does his father reveal what really happened. Alfredo returns to Violetta and she dies in his arms.

 

4. One of the most played operas 

La Traviata touches the heart. The music moves the listener and the story brings tears to the eyes. This opera appeals to young and old, to opera newcomers and devoted opera lovers alike. When Verdi composed one of his masterpieces, the success of the opera was far from certain. The premiere at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice was received rather positively by the critics, but the third act in particular was mocked by the audience. There were several reasons for this. The quality of the performance was not at its best, and the audience in 1853 was not used to seeing singers in modern costumes on stage. For this reason the second performance was set in the era of Louis XIV. From then on La Traviata began its triumphant ascent. 

 

5. La Traviata will make you an opera fan 

If you have never been to an opera and you want to give it a try then La Traviata might be just the right choice for you. Arias and Scenes as instantly catchy as a Taylor Swift song, emotions are bigger than life but deeply human, a story that is gripping from the first moment on and will make you root for Violetta and Alfredo – all this you’ll find in La Traviata. This opera will make you hooked and it’s highly addictive. Don’t say we haven’t warned you! 

 

La Traviata at Olavinlinna Castle on July 27, 28, 30 & 31 at 7pm.

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