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Placido Domingo to perform in Verdi’s opera La Traviata at Bolshoi Theater

La Traviata was first performed at the Bolshoi in 1858, and since then, it has never been gone for a long time

Placido Domingo EPA-EFE/ENRICO MARTINELLI

Placido Domingo

© EPA-EFE/ENRICO MARTINELLI

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Russia’s world-renowned Bolshoi Theater is opening a series of performances with an all-star lineup of opera singers on Wednesday. The theater will be presenting Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata," which will star such singers as Placido Domingo, Irina Lungu, Arturo Chacon Cruz, Zuzana Markova, Dinara Alieva, Elchin Azizov, Matteo Lippi, Liparit Avetisyan, and Vasily Ladyuk. The performances are set to take place from May 5 to May 9, the theater’s spokesperson Katerina Novikova informed TASS.

"From May 5 to May 9, the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theater will show the La Traviata opera, one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most popular masterpieces. World opera stars will perform all the leading roles. The main event of the May showings will be the performance of distinguished opera singer Placido Domingo in the role of Giorgio Germont (on May 6 and 9)," Novikova said.

She noted that during the current, 245th season of the Bolshoi Theater, Domingo has shown his prowess as a singer, conductor and teacher giving workshops for young vocalists. "At first, he made his debut as a conductor at the Bolshoi: Placido Domingo conducted the Manon Lescaut and La Boheme operas by Giacomo Puccini. Then, he presented two gala concerts on the Bolshoi’s stage in the format dubbed "Domingo and friends." Just a short time ago, in April, Domingo sang in a Bolshoi production for the first time, performing one of his signature parts as Rodrigo in Verdi’s opera "Don Carlos." And now he will appear as Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s opera "La Traviata,"" the spokesperson noted.

Novikova pointed out that La Traviata was first performed at the Bolshoi in 1858, and since then, it has never been gone for a long time. "The current production is the work of the famous Francesca Zambello, a three-time laureate of the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award who authored over 100 productions shown all over the world. This is the fifth La Traviata of her career as a director and her third production at the Bolshoi," the spokesperson said. "The production was created for the Historic Stage that opened just after its reconstruction in 2012, and it is still adorns the repertoire of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater," Novikova stressed.

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