“La KRITUSĪ: A Modernized Performance of Opera Classic La Traviata at Latvian National Theater”

A few days ago, I enjoyed the performance of the Latvian National Theater “La KRITUSĪ”, which premiered this month – on May 10. The show has an interesting idea – the world-famous opera “La Traviata” by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi has been modernized and staged on the theater stage. The dramatization of the play was created by director Ināra Slucka and playwright Evarts Melnalksnis. I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of the singer Daumantas Kalniņas, who took on the role of Alfredo in the play. He was really great! I was lucky enough to attend a performance in which Dita Lūriņa, Daiga Gaismiņa, Mārcis Manjakovs and other outstanding stage artists also played on the stage. Also important and impressive in the show is the scenography of the outstanding scenographer Mārtiņš Vilkārs, which changes along with the events of the show.

Content will continue after the ad.

The actors perfectly and emotionally conveyed the essence of the story. I was only slightly confused by the fact that all the chants are in Italian without translation. In the opera, when attending performances, there is a simultaneous translation into Latvian, there was no such translation in the theater. Some of the texts were explained, but mostly not. I would recommend that you familiarize yourself with the plot of the opera “La Traviata” before the performance in order to better understand what was sung during the performance and the ideas contained in the songs. This does not prevent reading and perceiving the essence and emotions of the narrative.

I would recommend the performance “La KRITUSI” to everyone who likes opera and theater. This is an excellent example of the fact that Latvian theaters are also capable of staging complex musical performances. “Traviata” is an opera classic, it is important that there was also a live accompaniment on the stage of the theater – an orchestra led by the head of the musical department of the Latvian National Theater Edgars Mäkens.

The show lasts two hours and 40 minutes with one intermission. It can be enjoyed several more times in the Great Hall of the Latvian National Theater, the closest of which is already next week – on May 31.