An opera and ballet extravaganza at the National Opera Bucharest, mid-November

From November 11 to 17, Romania’s premier opera stage in Bucharest will delight audiences with remarkable opera and ballet performances. This week brings some of the most beloved works from the classic international repertoire, including Adam’s Le Corsaire, Bizet’s Carmen, and Verdi’s Nabucco and La Traviata.

Le Corsaire (by Adolphe Charles Adam) – Wednesday and Saturday, November 13 and 16, at 18:30

Set in the enchanting world of old Adrianople, Le Corsaire tells a passionate story of love and obsession between two lost souls. In this exceptional ballet, the courageous pirate Conrad, who revels in freedom and the open seas, falls deeply in love with the beautiful Medora, a slave bound by a world that denies her freedom. Their passionate love and overpowering obsession fuel their dance, embodying their struggle for love and freedom. Adam’s Le Corsaire, based on Lord Byron’s 1814 poem The Corsair, premiered at the Paris Opera in 1856, with choreography by Joseph Mazilier and a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. The version choreographed by Vasily Medvedev for the Bucharest National Opera is adapted from Marius Petipa’s renowned staging for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

Carmen (by Georges Bizet) – Thursday, November 14, at 18:30

Bizet’s Carmen, a landmark 19th-century opera, was inspired by Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella. Centered on the beautiful and passionate Carmen, who embodies sexuality and defiance, Carmen became famous after Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy adapted it into a libretto for Bizet’s opera in 1875. Known for its unforgettable melodies like the Habanera, Toreador Song, and La fleur que tu m’avais jetée, Carmen is celebrated as one of the greatest operas, with Bizet’s masterful use of melody and orchestration to express the intense emotions and social struggles of its characters.

Nabucco (by Giuseppe Verdi) – Friday, November 15, at 18:30

Composed by Giuseppe Verdi in 1841, Nabucco was inspired by the French play Nabuchodonosor. Verdi uses the story of the Babylonian king who conquered and exiled the Israelites to explore themes of patriotism and oppression. Verdi, inspired by Italy’s risorgimento movement, famously created the powerful Va, pensiero, a chorus of longing by the captured Israelites, which quickly became an anthem of freedom. The Bucharest staging, with set design by George Doroșenco, reflects Nabuchodonosor’s imposing power through grandiose scenic elements. Since its Bucharest premiere in October 1987, Nabucco has remained a staple in the repertory, with its majestic music and unforgettable choral and solo numbers.

La Traviata (by Giuseppe Verdi) – Sunday, November 17, at 18:30

Verdi’s La Traviata, inspired by the real-life story of Rose Alphonsine Plessis—better known as Marie Duplessis, a famed Parisian courtesan—is one of the most beloved operas. Alexandre Dumas fils immortalized her in his novel The Lady of the Camellias, later adapted by Verdi’s librettist Francesco Maria Piave. In La Traviata, Verdi explores the tragic life of Violetta Valéry, a character inspired by Duplessis, who ultimately sacrifices herself for love.