My dear wife knows me very well and for my birthday back in May, bought some tickets for us to go and see Welsh National Opera’s new production of Verdi’s romantic tragedy, La Traviata, at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff (18 September). I am a huge fan of WNO who stage world-class opera at affordable prices that should make the Royal Opera House management blush. The Millennium Centre is also one of my very favourite venues: It may not be lined with the plush red and gold décor so often found in opera houses, but the auditorium is simply marvellous both from the acoustic point of view, and because there’s not a bad seat in the house. The clever use of wood and stone, and the modern sleek design of the Millennium Centre not only seems absolutely right for its setting, but it gives the Centre an incredibly spacious and airy feel. The facilities are superb, the parking convenient, and the staff are helpful and friendly. So, the scene is set….
From the moment the hauntingly sad overture started and a mournful Alfredo strolled forlornly through the fallen leaves with nothing but his fond memories of Violetta for company, it was obvious that this was going to be another masterpiece from director, David McVicar and designer, Tanya McCallin. The overture melted away and the curtain parted to take us back in time to Violetta’s apartment and a party in full swing. On closer inspection, the stage floor revealed itself as a cracked slate-grey gravestone upon which the words “Ici repose Violetta Valéry” were etched – a chilling foretaste of the inevitable outcome. The set design worked beautifully and I particularly liked the imaginative use of curtains as partitions to ease us between scene changes at the beginning of Act II.
Myrtò Papatanasiu (making her UK debut) was superb as the courtesan Violetta, but produced a few slightly harsh sounds during the first act and seemed very slightly under-confident at first. It even sounded as though she dropped a few notes before producing what was admittedly a stunning top Eb at the end of Sempre libero d’eggio. And personally, I felt that the interpretation here dwelt too much on Violetta’s attempted rejection of her growing love for Alfredo and missed the overtly breathless and climactic nature of the music. But if Papatanasiu needed a bit of time to hit her stride, so too did most of the cast, but my goodness, when they did, the singing was utterly entrancing. Alfie Boe as Alfredo produced an increasingly warm tone as the performance developed and by Act III was singing at his very best and if he isn't an obvious choice for Verdi then it certainly didn't show. I found it fascinating watching his bare-chested opening to Act II (purely from a singing point of view, I should add). It was a rare opportunity to watch a professional singer’s diaphragm in action. Dario Solari (as Giorgio Germont) was impressive from the start. His voice has a wonderfully clear and strong tone that was perfect for the role. Perhaps a bit more facial expression would not go amiss, but the sound was awesome.
The dynamic control and subtlety with which the orchestra played was testament to Andrea Licata’s consummate skill with the baton: he teased every ounce of pathos from Verdi’s beautiful music and did so without it becoming over-sentimental. Andrew George’s choreography provided some excellent moments of spectacle, none more so than the matador’s enactment and gipsy dance (with a cheeky twist at the end) during Flora’s marvellously lavish party scene. The party scene always hits home and I swear one of these days I will not be able to resist the temptation of shouting out to Alfredo not to commit the terrible, heartless deed of throwing money at the distraught Violetta whose unfaltering love and incredible sacrifice he does not even start to comprehend in his moment of anger. You know he’s going to regret it for the rest of his life.
With so many wonderful arias and duets in La Traviata it is impossible to choose a favourite, but for me, Alfredo & Violetta’s final duet, Parigi O Cara, was simply outstanding, and the blend of Boe & Papatanasiu’s voices here was as breathtakingly a gorgeous example of opera as one is ever likely to encounter. Without overdramatizing Violetta’s death, I felt the moment when she slipped from life might have been played for greater effect – although perhaps her almost apologetic death, with so little fuss, was deliberately understated. Certainly the emotions of the moment tugged at the heartstrings. On account of her profession, Mrs Edwards is unable to imagine how Violetta, in the terminal stages of consumption, could possibly sing. (That's the trouble with doctors.) This inability to suspend belief is a bit of a handicap when it comes to empathizing with the characters on stage and perhaps it is why she will always prefer the frivolity of G&S to the emotional roller-coasters penned by the likes of Verdi and Puccini. For me though, the ability of opera to transport the audience temporally, geographically and emotionally is what makes it so very special – and in my opinion, it is what makes opera the ultimate art form. WNO’s Traviata ticked all of those boxes and, although it may be unfashionable as a bloke to admit it, I had tears in my eyes as the opera’s emotional journey came to its tragic conclusion. Bravo WNO! Another superb production.
