La Traviata, Welsh National Opera, Birmingham Hippodrome - review
There are many reasons why Verdi’s Traviata has become the worlds’ favourite opera and many of those reasons were wonderfully demonstrated in Welsh National Opera’s sumptuous production at the Hippodrome.
David McVicar's 2009 production, here performed under the direction of Sarah Crisp, proves that opera fans will support traditional opera styles and the company was rewarded with a satisfyingly substantial audience last night.
What this lavish production possesses is quality, with a set largely dominated by Tanya McCallin’s large black drapes.
This is the ultimate tragic love story of a man who falls in love with a courtesan dying of consumption.
WATCH highlights from the show here:
The opera used a play as its source material and the play came from a novel by Alexandre Dumas which was based on his novel on Alphonsine Plessis, a celebrated real-life courtesan known as Marie Duplessis.
Marie was rumoured to have had an affair with Franz Liszt, definitely had an affair with Dumas the younger but ultimately died penniless at age 23.
The untimely death of Violetta, Marie’s fictional counterpart, is foreshadowed from the very beginning of the opera but the characters on stage desperately try to resist what we know is inevitable. La Traviata is no slow, mournful dirge.
It is simply quite spectacular in every respect.
Young Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang was a finalist in the Cardiff Singer of the World last year. His range is delivered smoothly throughout, especially across the break, and there is an admirable warmth of tone in his quieter passages as the love-sick Alfredo. This is a voice which will be welcome in the world’s great opera houses for many years to come.
Linda Richardson made an imposing Violetta. She displayed a whole range of emotions quite convincingly, without losing sight of the fact that beneath the fragile exterior is a steely resolve.
Roland Wood sang the role of Alfredo’s father Giorgio with his rich baritone voice making for a well-developed character.
The chorus was in superb form singing robustly and enthusiastically one of the greatest drinking songs in the operatic repertoire, Libia Me.
Conductor James Southall drew from his orchestral forces a ravishing account of Verdi’s most melodic score especially with the string and woodwind sections playing with beautiful control and delicacy.
With all the other deft little touches, and even a very humorous Spanish matador dancer, this was Welsh National at the top of its form.
WNO’s season at the Hippodrome continues tonight with Rossini’s La Cenerentola and concludes with Prokoviev’s War and Peace on Saturday.
By Jerald Smith
