La traviata is regarded as one of Verdi’s finest operas, and Richard Eyre’s traditional staging, is one of The Royal Opera’s most popular productions. The opera tells the story of the Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry, one of opera’s greatest heroines, based on the reallife courtesan Marie Duplessis, who died in 1847 aged just 23. In this revival, Violetta is sung by Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva in her debut with The Royal Opera, following her successful appearance as Violetta at the Glyndebourne Festival.