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14th-century Venice, a city of intrigue, criminal activity and mysterious masks, is the setting for Donizetti's opera about the Doge Marino Faliero, whose life is torn between public and private issues.

Only soprano Eleonora Buratto’s Mimì added real warmth and pathos to Mario Pontiggi's staging. 

Lord Sidney's contemplation of the insanity of the world seems to be the impetus for this delirious production. So endless is its stream of gags that to attend this show is to be left feeling exhausted.

This dark production of La traviata may have obscured some of the more romantic elements of Verdi’s drama, but the music had all of the vitality to match La Fenice's sparkle.

À l'exception de la direction intéressante d'Antonino Fogliani à la tête de l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, il n'y a pas grand-chose à saluer dans cette production clinquante, dénuée de la moindre cohérence artistique.