Fascinated with the popularity of Natalie Dessay, I then decided to check out if she has done the role of Violetta in La Traviata. And I eventually discovered that she did at the Metropolitan Opera. I mentioned that in a previous article. Then again, the challenge usually lay in making an interesting version of one of the most performed operas ever staged. (Seriously, I think I found 50 complete operas on YouTube from different countries in different eras with different leads)
I also observed that whoever is in charge of the Verdi royalties would allow remakes no matter how outrageous the stage concept is, as long as all modern versions would retain the sung flow (no spoken lines unlike the French operas that took liberties in adding spoken dialogue in between arias), then it will be good. You may have read my review about “The Big Clock Version”. That was the thing in La Traviata as of late at The Met.
So I checked out another version of La Traviata. Natalie Dessay is still at the lead role but the concept is already that of a photoshoot which I find a little weird. She even donned a blonde wig to go with eyeliner. Put them together and she looked a little like Lady Gaga. The photoshoot concept could have been nice if the place only looked a little more neat. It’s like in an effort to look different, it ended up looking horrible which is such a shame since most folks here sounded nice. Not great but nice enough.
Lousy Set
I don’t know what are they aspiring for in this look. It’s like one of them has this bunch of scripts tucked into clipboards, closed his/her eyes and picked one ending up with one of the lousiest sets. It’s that bad. They must have been thinking “Oh it’s Natalie Dessay anyway that would be headlining La Traviata and hey, it’s La Traviata! 2 reasons to see butts on those seats! So let’s settle with this mess! People come in over for the sake of listening to them sing anyway!” It can be frustrating to find a production that tries to keep within budget based on what I have seen but would not even lift a finger to clean up the place.
It served as a contrast to some of the men who came over that are snappily dressed, notably Alfredo (played by Charles Castronovo). And the fact that he’s the only guy in a white tux makes you think that he’s making an effort to stand out from the crowd if not for his confidence issues. Maybe it’s also a subliminal way for the stage director to say he’s so pure and innocent, he’s basically radically different from the rest of the men that constantly mingled with Violetta.
Operas: For The Ears
There are some operas that deserved to be listened to. It’s one of those old school approaches to appreciating opera. But with the internet and most gadgets available today that made sure the visuals are taken care of, it’s quite a shame that they ended up getting neglected.
The Brindisi duet was a letdown too. No matter how minimalist the set could get, a drinking song should still have some glasses for the sake of proposing a toast. Here, Alfredo was signing about proposing a toast and he doesn’t even have a goblet on his hand. Are they catering to the crowd that doesn’t understand much the song? It’s literally translated as “The Drinking Song” and then no wine accompanied the duet. What toast is there to sing about then?
The moment we shift to Act 2, we see a messy bed. Messy not because God-knows-what-happened there (what a nookie) but because the glitters and confetti are also found there. I went back to what I was doing while listening to the video stream.
Giorgio Germont (played by Ludovico Tezier) looked quite young in this production. But he sounded smooth and sleek – one not too dependent on trills and runs but still good to listen to even if he sounded angry as his lines were harsh and insulting to Violetta. Must be the stern facial expression that made the difference. The look on his face as he stared down Violetta in an attempt to make her break up with Alfredo and later at Alfredo himself gives you the idea that this is one guy you don’t mess around with. Just don’t. Not even for a joke. I rarely get scared of Giorgio in previous versions that I have seen so far. The closest that I could think of in terms of terror factor is the baritone who played Giorgio in the version I reviewed here.
Any Saving Grace?
There are some sets that made up for the other scenes that were messy if only they kept up this clean look the entire production so at least it could be pleasing not just to the ears but also to the eyes.
Also, Dessay is a great actress – the kind that knew what spin to put into a character that she inhabits just like here in Violetta. After getting slut-shamed by Alfredo in the most recent party that both of them attended after the break-up, the curtain simply laid down, leaving her and Annina in front, she just sat down. As the overture plays towards Act 3, Violetta just sat there with a blank expression letting Annina rub off her makeup.
No words, she almost didn’t blink. Staring right into her eyes felt like staring right through her soul, letting the audience see her without make-up. Annina stopped after seeing her face cleared of any cosmetic. She must have wanted to rub off that sadness away from her mistress’ face too. That’s when I realized that she’s better as an actress in this version.
Dessay knew that there is no need to go over-the-top with a performance that simply expressed pain and loneliness first with her voice and later with her facial expressions. This is a woman who has given up on life.
The slow burn treatment towards the finale was also upheld here. As of late, productions knew that almost everyone have seen La Traviata. The challenge they face then is how to cook the slow burn towards the end since early in the story, Violetta’s condition is already a concern for her closest friends. The lyrics in the opera made it easy for some stage directors to do that but with a set this lousy, it takes the attention away from the lead character who (to put it bluntly) is someone we’re just waiting to die. How can you keep the audience sympathetic to a dying woman with messy sets that occasionally distract the audience? If I were in the audience, I would think that she ended up contacting tuberculosis because she had messy surroundings.
Anyway, this might be the first La Traviata I have watched where I ended up getting more pleased with the voice of Giorgio than the voices of Alfredo and Violetta. Also, it made me listen more instead of watching this version since I ended up no liking the set. If they intend to go with a concept that goes with a purpose (like presenting the confusion in her head as a mess around her that her helpers just clean up for her), then it might have worked. It’s not yet available in DVD. Just in case it would, updates would be posted here.
Anyway, I hope my insights helped you in discerning some discrepancies and issues that I found in some opera productions just like this version of La Traviata that we discussed. Please like our official Facebook page, MusicalsOnline.com. Thanks for reading.
