‘La Traviata’in need of finer tuning

George Stevens sings the role of Giorgio Germont and Bronwen Forbay sings the role of Violetta Val�ry in La Traviata.

George Stevens sings the role of Giorgio Germont and Bronwen Forbay sings the role of Violetta Val�ry in La Traviata.

Published Oct 17, 2011

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CAPE TOWN OPERA: Verdi´s LA TRAVIATA. Directed by Alessandro Talevi. With Bronwen Forbay, Colin Lee, George Stevens, Violina Anguelov, Arline Jaftha and Xolela Sixaba. CPO conducted by Albert Horne. Design Madeleine Boyd. Lighting Kobus Rossouw. At Artscape Opera House, until Saturday. DEON IRISH reviews.

CAPE TOWN has been awash with Traviatas over the years. The first, 1973, production at the old Nico was followed by the 1985 Cazalet designed version, revived in 1989 and 1994. Then came the 2000 Gobbato production, revived in 2004 at the Joseph Stone and subsequently at the Opera House.

This is an entirely new production with four acclaimed singers in the lead roles and an internationally acknowledged production team.

The result is an entirely worthy production, but one that ultimately left the audience somewhat detached and occasionally irritated.

In its narrative qualities, it succeeds admirably in telling a Pretty Woman story about a rich young man who falls for a sophisticated hooker: the main differences are that he has a father who is determined to end the relationship and she is, in any event, suffering from a fatal illness.

There are undisputed highlights during the evening, two of which are the performances of Stevens (as the implacably moralistic, yet ultimately sympathetic father) and Anguelov´s sophisticated hostess, Flora. The former is in marvellous voice, a rich bass-baritone of great projection, and acts with insightful distinction. The latter sparkles in her role, and makes the relatively small part a significant player.

Lee is, of course, another highlight, although perhaps not undisputed. There are those who would characterise his gorgeously focussed tenor as being too precision an instrument for this writing, preferring a more Italianate timbre in the role.

It is a valid point of view and the role does lose a little emotive impact in consequence. But, in contrast, his keen tone and soaring head notes do have a realistically youthful quality which is entirely appropriate and the writing for the role is well able to carry the distinction.

His vocal focus proves adequate substitute for sheer Italianate tenor power and, coupled with an engaging stage presence, Lee is intriguing in the role; but one is left wondering whether writing of this nature serves his long-term interests.

Forbay’s Violetta is a disappointment – perhaps predictably so. She was triumphant as Lucia last year, but that is a very different role with very different vocal demands. The trouble with Violetta is that it is so disparate a role, both in range and in character: now dramatic, now lyrical, now bel canto.

It takes a vocally adept soprano – with considerable power in reserve – to handle the raunchy Libiamo, the low tessitura of Ah, fors e lui and the abandonment of Sempre libera in the first act, as well as the emotional depths of the second act and the filigree vocal writing of the third.

Forbay’s voice is certainly best suited to the more vocally concentrated writing of the final act, with its lighter orchestration. So, I thought the Addio del passato her best-delivered aria of the evening and the succeeding Parigio duet with Lee sheer loveliness.

Orchestral playing was generally accurate, but lacking in the necessary element of musical indulgence which allows phrases (and singers) to take their time and have their space.

Horne has a tendency to want to “fill the gaps” with sound, with a resultant urgency to move on to the next beat, or the next entry. But the best of operatic conductors employ those very gaps to create a real sense of musical phrase, and phrases are what makes the difference between playing the notes and recreating the music.

The other musical problem was ensemble, particularly with the usually excellent chorus who – while singing with authority – displayed musical indiscipline, frequently ignoring both inherent rhythm and conductor’s beat and racing ahead of the pack. Bad habits are soon learnt and this needs to be firmly dealt with before it becomes an abiding problem.

The production, as such, failed to captivate, despite there being plenty to watch and experience and no little inventiveness on display. First up must be the design of the second act’s “country house”, a concrete bunker of particularly oppressive mien, dumped over the still visible opening scene, and housing a collection of dead pot plants in satirical imitation of the required garden.

The only charitable explanation is that the budget proved wholly inadequate to dress the scene at all. But at least it was thereafter transformed for the card scene into a beautifully understated Art Deco apartment, with the lights of the city twinkling in the background.

The opening set – a Parisian roof terrace – is effective if not particularly inviting; but it’s repeated use for the final death scene is bizarre: a woman dying of tuberculosis, lying skimpily clad on an exposed roof terrace in Paris, in February? The doctor would be up in front of the Medical Council!

Costuming is attractively effective, but not always suited to the physiognomy of the actual wearer when it comes to the smaller roles.

And the lack of a choreographer was glaringly obvious.

Direction of the principal characters is effective, but the crowd scenes tend to the lumpish, with a paradoxically static feel, despite the overt busyness of it all. The somewhat confined areas of both the roof top and the apartment dictate this, one feels – as does the almost perilous rake of the stage.

In summary, a production of considerable vocal interest which is certainly worth viewing. One is left feeling, however, that it has fallen rather short of what might have been, had just a few of the cards fallen differently.

l Tickets are R100 to R350. To book, call Computicket at 0861 915 8000.

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