8:15am Wednesday 16th April 2008
By Rachel Ryan
A real treat for local opera-lovers comes to Lancaster on April 25 for one night only.
The Dukes Cinema on Moor Lane, plays host to a spectacular performance of La Traviata filmed at the legendary La Scala in Milan.
The classic Italian opera by Verdi was filmed at the World Famous Opera House in high definition and is projected in 2K digital cinema, the highest quality standard in cinema today.
Just a handful of cinemas in the UK have been selected to show the stunning opera, which requires participating venues to be equipped with the latest technology, compliant with the Hollywood Studio's Digital Cinema Initiative guidelines.
Leon Gurevitch, Film Programme Manager at the Dukes says: "The visual and sound qualities are so fantastic it's almost like being there. It's the nearest you can get to seeing a stunning opera at La Scala without having to travel to Italy!"
La Traviata, whose title translates as "The Woman Who Strayed", is one of the best-loved operas of all time.
Set in the elegant, but shadowy Paris of the mid-1800s, Violetta, a beautiful but fragile courtesan gives up the pursuit of meaningless pleasure in high society for the love of a younger man, Alfredo.
Together they begin life anew in the country, but their happiness is shattered by Alfredo's father, who learns of Violetta's unsuitable past and pressures her to break off the relationship for the sake of the family's reputation.
This version features the celebrated soprano Angela Gheorgui making her debut as Violetta, at the legendary 229 year-old Opera house in Milan.
La Traviata from La Scala will be screened at the Dukes on Moor Lane, Lancaster, on Friday, April 25 at 8.15pm.
Tickets are £12, and £10 for concessions, and can be booked in advance from the Dukes Box Office on 01524 598500 or online at www.dukes-lancaster.org.
For other film releases and reviews see the film section.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thelancasterandmorecambecitizen.co.uk