{"id":13683,"date":"2013-08-01T07:36:39","date_gmt":"2013-07-31T21:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/soundslikesydney.com.au\/?p=13683"},"modified":"2013-08-01T07:36:39","modified_gmt":"2013-07-31T21:36:39","slug":"la-traviata-demonstrates-the-best-qualities-of-traditional-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soundslikesydney.com.au\/?p=13683","title":{"rendered":"‘La Traviata’ – Demonstrates the Best Qualities of Traditional Productions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"'La
‘La Traviata’ – Dominica Matthews as Flora Bervoix, Michael Honeyman as Marquis d’Obigny & the Opera Australia Chorus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

La Traviata\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 Giuseppe Verdi<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Opera Australia, 30 July 2013<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

On 30 July Opera Australia continued its celebration of the bi-centenary of Verdi\u2019s birth with a revival of Elijah Moshinsky\u2019s sumptuous 1994 production of La Traviata<\/i>.\u00a0 This is a traditional view of the work which vividly brings to life the world of fashionable Parisian salons during the Belle \u00c9poque.\u00a0<\/em> The premiere was held in the welcome presence of NSW\u2019s music-loving governor, Professor Marie Bashir, who is often seen at Sydney performances.<\/p>\n

The title role of Violetta was superbly sung by Emma Matthews who also sang Violetta last year in Opera Australia\u2019s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.\u00a0 Matthews again shines in the role whose coloratura and tessitura she tackles fearlessly.\u00a0 Her performance spans the full expressive range from ethereal pianissimo up to full-voice climaxes in which she rides the orchestra with apparent ease.\u00a0 Her interpretation is passionate and dramatically convincing throughout and underlines the emotional vulnerability of the character from the beginning.<\/p>\n

The Polish tenor Arnold Rutkowski is well cast as Alfredo.\u00a0 He creates a sympathetic stage presence and in the first act appears suitably diffident and unassuming, becoming more assertive as the character develops. \u00a0Rutkowski phrases sensitively and his even production opens out well at the top although on opening night he took some time to find his best voice.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Carb\u00f3 sang Giorgio Germont with his customary rich and full baritone.\u00a0 He produced some very attractive legato<\/em> singing and comfortably negotiated the role\u2019s high tessitura.\u00a0 Carb\u00f3 projected a convincingly stern father, but there was little transformation or warmth as the character realises he has wrongly judged Violetta. \u00a0The numerous smaller roles were all well sung.<\/p>\n

Moshinsky\u2019s production has been successfully revived by Roger Press who has had extensive experience working on other opera productions.\u00a0 The ornate Parisian salon stage sets originally designed by Michael Yeargan are full of detail and are again beautiful to behold.\u00a0 They suggest the decadence that is bound to end badly.\u00a0 The evocative autumnal scene which opens Act 2 is particularly successful in mirroring the approaching downturn in the plot.\u00a0 Nigel Levings\u2019s lighting is well judged throughout and is especially successful in conveying the internal and external worlds in the last act.<\/p>\n

Patrick Lange, currently the musical director of the Berlin Komische Oper<\/em>, conducted with a welcome expressiveness and flexibility of tempo that was noticeably absent in the previous revival of the production three years ago.\u00a0 The orchestra played well, with some nicely phrased solos from the oboe and clarinet.\u00a0 The occasional brief lapse of synchronisation between stage and pit, and the intonation of the exposed unison violin passages in the Act 3 prelude will probably benefit from further performances.<\/p>\n

The chorus again displayed their full tone and clarity of attack.\u00a0 They also demonstrated their dramatic flexibility as they became, in turn, habitu\u00e9s of the salons, gypsies, matadors and finally carnival revellers.<\/p>\n

The production is now nearly 20 years old, but it displays the best qualities of traditional productions.\u00a0 Apart from being glorious to look at, it focuses well on the opera\u2019s narrative.\u00a0 It has provided a vehicle for generations of singers to present their own interpretations and it must also have been a sound financial investment over the years.<\/p>\n

La Traviata<\/i> continues to be one of the most popular operas.\u00a0 In this production it provides an ideal introduction for opera newcomers.\u00a0 The experience of an exciting night at the theatre has been enhanced by placing several Belle \u00c9poque<\/em> props in the northern foyer.<\/p>\n

\"'Becoming
‘Becoming Traviata’ – the audience test props from the production in the northern foyer of the opera theatre on opening night. Image Larry Turner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the intervals people can have their photos taken with the props, reclining on a chaise longue or standing inside a picture frame with an ornate background.\u00a0 This proved to be very popular, especially with younger members of the audience.\u00a0 Performances of La Traviata<\/i> continue until the end of August.<\/p>\n

Larry Turner for SoundsLikeSydney\u00a9<\/em><\/p>\n

Larry Turner has been singing in choirs for many years \u2013 both in Sydney and London.\u00a0 He is an avid attendee of operas and concerts, with an emphasis on vocal music.\u00a0 He particularly enjoys music from both the great a capella period and the baroque \u2013 especially the lesser-known works of Bach and Handel.\u00a0 He has written programme notes for Sydney Philharmonia, the Intervarsity Choral Festival and the Sydneian Bach Choir and is currently part of a team researching the history of Sydney Philharmonia for its forthcoming centenary.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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