A night at the opera

There's nothing more magical than a night at the opera, and luckily for those of us living in the Rhine area - we have our pick of opera houses to choose from. At the Düsseldorf opera house you can see Mozart's fairy tale opera, The Magic Flute.  Set in a library, this adaptation gives the 1791 opera a contemporary feel, while retaining the ever relevant themes of one of Mozart's most popular pieces.  Over in Cologne you can see Verdi's epic La Traviata, again with a conteporary "Gentleman's Club" setting, which is actually in keeping with the opera's original setting. Based on the 1848 novel "La dame aux Camélias" by Alexandre Dumas , the title "La traviata" means literally The Fallen Woman. Verdi wanted to give the opera a contemporary setting, but the authorities at La Fenice insisted that it be set in the past, "c. 1700". It was not until the 1880s that the composer and librettist's original wishes were carried out and "realistic" productions were staged. Despite the first performance of La Triaviata being a total flop, it has since gone on to be one of the third most performed operas, behind only Madama Butterfly and La bohème.  An insider at the opera house in Cologne tells me tickets are going fast - so book now to avoid disappointment.

The Magic Flute / Die Zauberflöte
09, 25 December & 03 Jan 2010
www.rheinoper.de

La Traviata
09, 17, 19, 23, 27 Dec
07, 10 Jan 2010
www.operkoeln.com