VERDI’S ‘LA TRAVIATA’ TO SIGNAL DAYS OF ARMENIAN-ITALIAN FRIENDSHIP
By Melania Badalian

AZG Armenian Daily #177
04/10/2005

Culture

“Song is more precious than bred”, people say in Italy, the country
of civilizations and arts. So there was a point in opening the Days of
Armenian-Italian friendship with Giuseppe Verdi’s famous “La Traviata”
at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre on 2 October.

RA deputy foreign minister Gegham Gharibjanian and Italian ambassador
to Armenia Marco Clemente opened the Armenia-Italian friendship days
that are officially to start on 5 October.

Mr. Gharibjanian presented in outline the role of the Italian culture
and Italy for Armenia, pointing out that Armenian-Italian relations
originate from ancient times.

One month of celebrations, initiated by the Armenian and Italian
governments and supported by the presidents of the states, is
an unprecedented event, Marco Clemente said, “as a foreign state
makes such efforts to present and to promote its culture to another
state. ‘La Traviata’ is the best start of these days”.

The applications for 36 arrangements of these days promise heaps of
surprises and wonderful moments as well as a unique atmosphere of
music, painting, theatre, architecture and cinema in Yerevan. For
the first time the National Gallery of Armenia will display the best
exhibits of the 300-year-long legacy of the Mkhitarist Congregation
of the St. Lazarus Island (valuable canvases, historic items, old
publications).