THE renowned and highly-acclaimed Russian State Opera brings a Verdi opera masterpiece La Traviata to the York Barbican this autumn.

One of the greatest Verdi operas, La Traviata is a love story shrouded in sacrifice and misunderstanding.

La Traviata is in three acts, set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and based on the play La Dame aux Camélias,

Giuseppe Verdi brings the beguiling splendour and gaiety of mid-19th century Parisian life to the stage. But there is

also heartbreak and pathos in this tragic and resonant morality tale in which Violetta, a high-society courtesan with a

heart of gold, sacrifices everything for the man she loves.

The title La Traviata literally means The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman Who Strayed.

It recounts Dumas’ true-life affair with the beautiful demi-mondaine, Marie Duplessis.

La Traviata is a courtesan called Violetta whose life is a round of endless parties until a young nobleman, Alfredo Germont, convinces her to live in the country with him. The couple are deeply in love and all is blissful contentment until Alfredo’s father arrives and tells Violetta that the affair is threatening the family’s honour.

Desperate to save Alfredo from disgrace Violetta leaves their rural idyll and returns to Paris and into the arms of another.

A masterpiece in its own right, it contains some of Verdi’s most beautiful and memorable music.

La Traviata, an ultimately tragic tale, combines compelling characters with hugely powerful, moving and instantly recognisable melodies, making it still, 162 years after its 1853 debut, one of the most emotionally engaging and popular operas of all time.

The Russian State Opera will be performing La Traviata at the York Barbican on Wednesday, October 7.

For tickets, phone 0844 854 2757 or go to yorkbarbican.co.uk