Along with Don Carlo, La Traviata is my favourite Verdi opera(though I do love Otello, Aida and Rigoletto just as much). The music is some of Verdi's most beautiful, and the story never fails to move me. This production is certainly not bad in my view, better than I'd heard it was anyhow, but while it is much better than the 2004, 2011 and 2012 performances I do prefer the Zeffirelli film. the 1968, 2006, 1992 productions both 1973 productions(one with Scotto and the other with Freni) and 1994 performance in terms of cast consistency and how the experience moved me. Visually, the production looks exquisite, the sets consisting of grand staircases and lavish decor give a real sumptuousness and the costumes with white ties and tails and evening gowns of great luxury likewise. The video directing is also very good, though in the opening scene the camera angles doesn't make us immediately realise who everybody is.
From a musical point of view, it is just as good. Lorin Maazel's conducting is a little too tame to start with but then apart from some too slow tempos in Act 2 is suitably genteel and more vital. The orchestral playing has the right balance of liveliness for Sempre Libera and sensitively for Addio Del Passato too, while the chorus vocally are splendid, the end of Act 2 is magic. The supporting cast are mostly fine, though I did find despite his fine voice the Gastone of Enrico Cossutta was not quite distinguished enough. Luigi Roni does a lot with little as Doctor Grenvil, while even better were the delightfully foppish Douphol of Allessandro Paliaga, the vocally polished Annina of Tiziana Tramonti and especially Natascha Petrinsky's Flora, whose gestures, wonderful diction, note-perfect singing makes up for some occasional harshness tone-wise.
Angela Gheorghiu is a mostly successful Violetta to me. True, she was in much more youthful voice in the 1994 production which I think is in keeping with the character, but I also liked her mature, deeply felt and very refined singing here, everything is beautifully shaped and in crucial scenes you can tell that she means every word. With the colouratura she hits the notes with a nice overall sound with good tuning, but like with her recent Tosca I felt that she could have gone for them more. Her acting in most scenes does show Violetta falling in love at first sight, giving way to Germont's pleas and moving the audience to tears in the final act, though there are some instances where she could have done with being less staid.
Roberto Frontoli is an excellent Germont. At first he is gruff and stern, and then he is sympathetic and almost self-criticising. His voice also does well to reflect these qualities, his tone may lack warmth early on(maybe due to his vowels being too closed) but by Di Provenza, which he sings beautifully by the way, it is much more even and mellow, which again I did think fitted with the character. His big Act 2 scene with Gheorghiu, which I have always considered the heart of that act, is very moving, and those with Ramon Vargas's Alfredo showed a sense of authority.
Vargas wasn't as good, and I have to say I have seen him better elsewhere notably as Lensky(Eugene Onegin) and Rodolfo(La Boheme). Vocally I actually can't fault him, his tone is clear and beautiful, is very musical and has impeccable breath control. The big problem was his acting, with Vargas looking and acting as though he was performing at a concert I never found myself moved or thrilled by the role of Alfredo. Overall, a good Traviata with gorgeous production values, but emotionally I wasn't as involved or moved as other productions I've seen. 7/10 Bethany Cox
