VAIL VALLEY, Colorado — Costumes. Elaborate sets. Tragedy. Romance. Humor. Death. Celebration.

These are the trappings of opera, one of the most beloved and traditional genres of performing arts.

“The thing about opera is that it involves such basic human emotions,” said Kris Sabel, executive director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center, which will present two evenings of opera this weekend. “That's what keeps the stories, the music, the characters so timeless through the ages. We can all laugh and cry and sit in suspense together as these stories unfold onstage. You don't have to be an expert to love opera — it's accessible to everyone.”

This weekend, not only the artistry but also the range of opera tradition will be on display.

“We're presenting two completely different operas — ‘La Traviata' on Saturday night and ‘Die Fledermaus' on Sunday night,” Sabel said. “These operas were written within a year of each other — ‘La Traviata' in Italy, and ‘Die Fledermaus' in Vienna — but they are two completely different styles.”

The back-to-back evenings of opera also speak to the range and diversity of talent of the presenting company, Teatro Lirico d'Europa, which performs for their sixth consecutive season in Beaver Creek. Complete with a 35-piece orchestra, more than 30 performers and a technical crew, the entire company totals nearly 100 — proof that this is no “scaled-down” production.

“It's not easy for opera companies to tour,” Sabel said. “There is so much involved in presenting opera. The sets, the costumes, live music, a cast that can play the diverse roles. That's why we've brought Teatro Lirico d'Europa back so many times. They are the absolute best at what they do.”

Giorgio Lalov, artistic director of Teatro Lirico d'Europa, said the company looks forward to their annual engagement in Beaver Creek.

“In that beautiful natural setting, to have such an exceptional theater is wonderful,” he said. “The stage is perfect for staging any opera. In our six years there, we've presented nearly every opera in our repertoire.”

‘La Traviata'

To many fans, ‘La Traviata' is the crown jewel in the entire opera repertoire.

“It's one of the most performed operas in history,” Sabel said. “Over the last 125 years, it's probably been performed every night, somewhere in the world. In 1977, there were 62 different professional companies in America producing it that season.”

The score offers some of the best-known songs in opera, and the plot centers around Violetta, a courtesan with a heart of gold. In fact, the popular movie Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts features a parallel plot, and even includes a brief scene of La Traviata, inextricably tying together the traditional and the modern takes on the story.

“For all of her faults and bad decisions, Violetta is true, she is honest, she does the right thing,” Sabel said of La Traviata's heroine. “From an artistic standpoint, Violetta is also one of the most sought-after roles in opera for a soprano. It requires incredible range to portray this character.”

Lalov concurs that La Traviata is a classic.

“Everyone knows the story, the music,” he said. “It's beautiful, sad, it has tragedy.”

‘Die Fledermaus'

On a much lighter note, the company returns on Sunday night with the light-hearted comedy of Strauss' “Die Fledermaus.” The plot involves a highly-complex (and often hilarious) web of mistaken identities, drunken vendettas, philandering, flirting and plenty of champagne.

“Die Fledermaus is an operetta rather than an opera,” Sabel said. “It's more like musical theater — you could compare it to Phantom of the Opera, Le Miserable or Rent, in that it features more dialogue and music that was considered very ‘pop culture' in the time it was written.”

That time was 19th century Vienna, when the Austrian city was considered a major capital of Europe.

“Operas were the popular entertainment of the day, not unlike blockbuster movies are for us today,” Sabel said. “The Strausses were the most popular composers in Vienna at the time, writing their beautiful waltz music. Johann Strauss was like a John Mayer of that day. So you have this popular waltz music, coupled with this incredibly funny plot line. It's just one thing after another — great melodies, music that falls easily on the ear, lots of laughter. It's easy to see why this was so popular when it was written, and why it still is today.”

Lalov said that often, the audience reaction is the best part of presenting the comedic opera.

“It's a very, very funny story,” he said. “Sometimes, it sounds like you are at a baseball game, the cheering and laughter is so loud.”



Sarah Dixon is the marketing and public relations manager for the Vilar Performing Arts Center. Send comments about this story to cschnell@vaildaily.com.