Have you seen or are you planning to see La traviata? What do you think about the production?
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Violetta, the beautiful courtesan, always thought she would never fall in love. Then she met Alfredo.
Opera Australia’s celebrated version of Verdi’s La traviata, set in 1890s Paris, is the ultimate night at the opera. There are lovingly detailed period costumes, lavish interiors, grand ensemble scenes. Above all, there is Verdi’s music.
Anyone who has ever been in love can identify with Alfredo. Anyone who has ever had a broken heart feels Violetta’s pain. And anyone who sees this production cannot fail to be entranced by its beauty.
Opera Australia is delighted to introduce Russian soprano Elvira Fatykhova and Aldo Di Toro making their Melbourne debuts in the roles of Violetta and Alfredo.
Tonight I gave my ticket to my sister to go with my two friends as I was unable to be in Shepparton for the day and at the State Theatre for the evening - so - I have viewed the trailer, looked at the wonderful costumes, revelled in the colour and hope that this 'almost' review might win me some tickets so that I don't miss out!
ReplyDeleteWhy not ask your sister or your two friends to review it, there is no way a short trailer can do the full production justice - Im pretty sure its only meant as a taster/teaser...
ReplyDeleteWent along to La Traviata opening night, wonderfully moving performance, Aldo Di Toro striked me, but Elvira Fatykhova was absolutely breathtaking, there were a few scenes she was all curled up on the floor yet still hitting those F6 notes, what a fabulous sopranino, able to sing even with her resonant cavity is all tucked in. It was good to see a performance being kept in it's traditional style as opposed to so many other ones which has been modernized. Would love to take my mother to watch it.
ReplyDeleteMichell
Mitch_apple@hotmail.com
La Traviata is my first opera since relocating to Melbourne last year, I am so lucky to attend the grand opening on 16 Nov. I was so impressed with the production such as stage design, costume, and is course the sopranino, she was absolutely magnificent. My boyfriend and I are foreigners to this country, he is German and I am Chinese, but we both communicate well with a common language which is Music, we will attend more Australian Opera production grim now on. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIdy
Well at the ripe age of 52 l thought that l should educate myself and go to the opera. l had never been.So a girlfriend and l went to see La Traviata.....l was spell bound! The costumes, the music, the singing. l truly felt like a kid sitting on the each of my seat. l loved every minute. A magical night, one l shall not forget. l am hooked!.
ReplyDeleteLyn Kneale
email: karenm.lynk@gmail.com
To bring freshness, originality and excitement to a piece of music that everyone knows so well brings special challenges. Few members of any opera audience will not have a personal view as to how each moment of Verdi’s masterpiece should be performed.
ReplyDeleteIt’s to the credit of all who staged Opera Australia’s La Traviata last night that there was not one moment of “been there, done that”. From the opening bars of the overture to the tragic dying moments, I felt as though I was seeing and hearing it for the first time.
I knew we were in for a great interpretation from the very first sounds from the pit, as Marko Letonja teased every ounce of passion from the violin section. The glorious textures and phrasings from the orchestra were maintained throughout the performance and enhanced the wonderful singing on stage.
The performances of La Traviata that stand out are those that keep faith with Piave’s libretto, clearly intended to be set in the romantic and somewhat hedonistic period of the mid-nineteenth century. Opera Australia was wise, in my view, to stick to this concept, which only serves to heighten just how intimately personal the story was to Alexander Dumas fils.
Michael Yeargan’s sets and Peter J. Hall’s costumes reflected the opulence of society’s moneyed class and contrasted brilliantly with the sense of destitution in the final scene.
Of course, what either makes or mars an operatic performance is the quality of the voices and here we were so fortunate to enjoy an evening of Opera Australia at its best. The Chorus, as always, was in fine form and were sensitively pianissimo or in full voice as required.
Apart from the three dominant roles, the supporting soloists do not have many opportunities for bravura singing, however, they all acquitted themselves well and I particularly enjoyed Shane Lowrencev’s Baron Douphol.
But the evening went equally to Elvira Fatykhova as Violetta Valery, Aldo Di Toro as Alfredo Germont and Michael Lewis as Giorgio Germont.
Fatykhova’s gentle vocal display at the outset belied the enormous power she later brought to the role and the force of emotion she radiated as the ‘fallen beauty’.
Aldo Di Toro was a convincing and powerful Alfredo and there was no moment that we couldn’t believe in either his joy at winning Violetta’s love or his pain at losing her. A wonderful performance.
Giorgio Germont, particularly in Act 2, has some show stopping moments, when he is begging Violetta to leave Alfredo and when he is persuading his son to return home. In both these, he left the audience’s emotions raw.
After last night’s performance at the State Theatre, it’s no wonder that La Traviata continues to amaze and enthral audiences when it is presented with such perfection.
Colin Goddard
clg0409@bigpond.net.au
It has been many years since I've attended a performance of La Traviata so thought it about time to re-visit one and to acquaint myself with the soprano Elvira Fatykhova. I came away impressed by her fine voice and the way she negotiated the upper reaches so beautifully, no easy task for any soprano. Also admired tenor Aldo Di Toro for his dynamic control, thoughtfully judged. This pair complementing each other, went down well with the audience. And for the eye, the setting is a most attractive feast.
ReplyDeleteChristine Hinton
shiftshape@bigpond.com
Having seen many Traviatas, I wondered why I was going to yet another as I know the music and story so well. After a disappointingly hesitant start Fatykhova found her voice which was clear, true and enthralling when it soared over the chorus and melodically joined with both Di Toro and Lewis. I revelled in Di toro's tenor voice which was my preferred type, also very clear and beautiful in its tone. Together with an excellent chorus and sensitively played orchestra, the effect was rousing to my senses as I lost myself in the beauty of the music and the performance. The intimate, richly decorated stage settings enhanced the overall effect. I ended up in tears as usual but missed the final anguished cry of Violette which I anticipate to further stir my emotions. Congratulations Australian Opera, a magnificent and exceptionally enjoyable production!
ReplyDeleteI've attended several performances of this wonderful production over the past decade - and never tire of its visual splendour. It is SO detailed - like the reading of the 'perfect' TRAVIATA conductor Maestro Castles-Onion. No other conductor since Maestro Cillario has made this masterpiece 'live' is such a human way. He draws every nuance from the cast and orchestra and makes them seem better than they already are! Bravo to Opera Australia for asking him to lead the Sydney Harbour season!
ReplyDeleteI went to see the La Traviata Opera with my dad i have attended several performances it was such an exquisite, outstanding opera all the singers especially Violetta was just simply outstanding in words its a breath taking opera that is spectacle the sets were just outstanding i don't know who does the sets but it was just simply outstanding in the 1st Act i was nearly crying in the opera it just simply amazed me of how simply outstanding something can be and that opera La Traviata just nearly brought tears to me and my dads eyes it was such a beautiful opera and i admired each and every person and the orchestra playing was just beautiful if i could see it again 5 more times i would because it is an amazing opera and everyone comes together to work so hard and the sets and the costumes. To all the main roles and the main characters just simply outstanding
ReplyDeletea beautiful love touching opera
I am actually going to Obtain an Audition for the children's chorus for opera australia
Harriet Mendelson
hmendelson@bigpond.com