La Traviata

It is hard to say which of Verdi's many operas is his best, because even the ones with weak or dramatically sprawling stories have several parts of great music, with perhaps the sole exception of 'Alzira'.

For a long while, my personal favourite (it was also one of my first exposures to opera, through the Sutherland, Bergonzi and Merrill recording) has been 'La Traviata', which has one of the most poignant stories of any opera and an example of every scene and note being a masterpiece. This said, favourites have also from time to time been 'Rigoletto', 'Otello' and 'Don Carlo', love 'Aida' and 'Falstaff' just as much and find myself listening to 'Il Trovatore' a good deal regardless of the story convolution.

This 2014 Paris production is not the best 'La Traviata' this reviewer has seen, personal favourite is the Franco Zeffirelli film which is one of his career triumphs (love or really like most of them though), but it is far superior to the Air-De-Provence, Patrizia Ciofi and Natalie Dessay Met productions.

Visually, it is very much a traditional performance with a mid-19th century setting. While some may not like so much that the surrounding stage is in darkness throughout the performance, it doesn't look cheap and doesn't undermine the performance at all. The sumptuous and never too fluttery costumes are very pleasing on the eye and the sets are simple but made interesting thanks to the wonderfully ornate décor. The staging is perhaps where the performance is not quite so strong. There is nothing really to object to, just that one finds themselves wanting more.

Benoît Jacquot deserves credit for telling the story clearly and succinctly, without over-complicating or dumbing down, and not including touches that are irrelevant or in bad taste. And he doesn't forget making the story engrossing or emotionally resonant, especially "Dite Alla Giovine" and "Addio Del Passato", chemistry between the leads is convincing and one does care and relate to Violetta. It is however not the most inspired staging in the world. The chorus are directed in a manner that's far too sombre and routine (also dressed in a way that makes Baron Douphol, dressed the same, too much of any outsider that he could have been anyone, when actually he is an important supporting character) that doesn't allow the party scenes to be as rousing and grand as they should have been, and while it is not without emotional attachment there are more moving and nuanced 'La Traviatas' available.

Musically, there is very little to complain about. The orchestra play truly beautifully, even when the nuances, poignancy and rousing excitement is not quite there in the staging the orchestral playing has all those qualities. The Act 1 and 3 preludes are played with such telling and heart-breaking serenity. The chorus don't have much to work with dramatically and struggle to do much with what they're given, but they sing excellently with firm, well-balanced and expressive tone. The conducting keeps everything together in an authoritative and sympathetic account of the score.

Performances are uniformly fine, from supporting cast and principals. Cornelia Oncioiu is the one that stands out in support as maid Annina, her rich voice mezzo voice and sympathetic acting makes much of little. The Flora, Gastone and Baron Douphol are solidly sung and characterised too, as is Nicholas Teste's Dr Grenvil. Francesco Demura is a youthful, suitably naively exciting and vulnerable Alfredo, singing with ringing tone (apart from some occasional wiriness in his Act 2 cabaletta), excellent diction and good musicality and phrasing. Ludovic Tezier is leagues better than he was in the Provence performance three years earlier, where he also played Germont, he looks more comfortable in a stern yet sympathetic (if not much different from most Germonts seen more) characterisation and he is in much steadier and warmer voice, his musicianship is first rate too especially in "Dite Alla Giovine" and "Di Provenza".

Diana Damrau is the main reason to see this production though. She is very poignant in the role, especially in Act 3, while constantly imbuing her role with personality. She is also in magnificent voice, singing "Sempre Libera" as if it doesn't terrify her in the slightest (in reality the aria has daunted many) and singing "Addio Del Passato" with heart-wrenching pathos, not just singing beautifully and with technical brilliance but singing with feeling too. The production looks good on DVD, with appropriate video directing, clear picture quality and sharp and beautifully balanced sound.

Overall, a good production with its best asset being its Violetta. 7/10 Bethany Cox