I have long been a fan of scaled-down opera - it makes the ticket price much cheaper than major opera houses and, although you lose the spectacle and the full orchestral sound, you are often repaid with bags of intensity.

In this salon production of Verdi's La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) showing at the Royal Pavilion, there are indeed shedloads of intensity.

It is certain venues in Brighton do not come more exotic and classy than the Royal Pavilion and while it is not exactly contemporary, with Verdi's French Second Empire sets, it is definitely on the plus-side of excellent.

To this exotic backdrop comes the Ensemble Musica a Palazzo, a quartet of violin, viola, cello and piano, and three exceptionally fine singers.

And you, the audience - just 60 at each performance - have to work at this show as well.

You begin in the Royal Pavilion's Banqueting Room, where you act as guests at Violetta's party, before moving upstairs to the William IV Room for the drawing room scene and finally down to the Music Room for the death scene.

This is forceful, intimate opera which gets right into your face - there is no avoiding it. The courtesan Violetta parades in front of you and you watch her and Alfredo fall in love just feet away.

Similarly, in the drawing room scene, you witness Alfredo's father pleading with his son to give up Violetta. When Alfredo argues with Violetta and leaves her, it is as though you are eavesdropping on a close neighbour's row.

There is no hiding Violetta's death from consumption as she falls from Alfredo's arms on to the floor of the Music Room.

This opera of love and loss is totally stunning, fully engaging and sometimes raises the hairs on the back of your neck. Antonella Meridda is a superbly tragic Violetta, Roberto De Biasio has a fine tenor voice and excellent acting skills as Alfredo, while Andrea Cortese's baritone performance as Alfredo's faher will blow you away.

But if you miss the lush orchestral arrangement and choruses of the original score and the second party scene, which is omitted altogether, then do not worry. After two and three quarter hours of such close opera, I emerged into North Street with a lump in my throat and a tear on my cheek.

This is one Violetta I did not want to see die.

  • Also Monday, May 7, Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10. Tickets £45, call 01273 709709