La traviata

A table, a chair, an implied door - nothing else. The orchestra in the background, the auditorium in front and in between: Violetta. Alone. The space between the orchestra and the audience, the stage, is almost empty and yet filled with sound, longing, memories and projections. A space of existential loneliness that becomes the inner world of a woman who dares to love and live radically. Love as a state of emergency, as a dangerous risk, often leads to death, especially in opera. In Benedikt von Peter's production of La traviata , this state is not simply narrated, but made directly tangible: Nicole Chevalier is alone on stage as Violetta for the entire evening. An unparalleled feat of strength that shows Violetta's unconditional desire for a counterpart, for unconditional love. Until the very end, she holds on to the ideal of this love with an intensity that goes far beyond a conventional portrayal. Benedikt von Peter's production, which was first shown in 2013, has since been revived several times. It is one of his most personal works and is closely linked to Nicole Chevalier, who has played Violetta from the very beginning. Her artistic and personal development has flowed into the production over the years. For Benedikt von Peter, the production in Stuttgart is therefore not just another revival, but the continuation of an open theatrical process in which interpretation, character and time are constantly changing and deepening.

Melodramma in three acts
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
First performed in Venice in 1853
in Italian

by Giuseppe Verdi