SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Verdi,  La traviata : at the Latvian National Opera, Riga, 29.9.2007 (GF)

Director: Andrejs Žagars
Set Designer: Andris Freibergs
Costume Designer: Kristine Pasternaka
Choreographer: Elita Bukovska
Dramaturg: Jochen Breiholz
Lighting Designer: Gleb Filshtinsky

Cast:

Violetta Valéry – Sonora Vaice
Alfredo Germont – Dmitry Popov
Giorgio Germont – Samsons Izjumovs
Flora Bervoix – Ieva Kepe
Annina – Dita Kalniņa
Gastone – Nauris Puntulis
Barone Douphol – Kārlis Saržants
Marchese d’Obigny – Aivars Krancmanis
Dottore Grenvil – Romāns Poļisadovs
Giuseppe, Violetta’s servant – Miervaldis Jeņčs
Un domestico di Flora – Viesturs Vitols
Commissionario – Kārlis Saržants

Chorus and Orchestra of the Latvian National Opera/Normunds Vaicis

This production of La traviata, premiered as recently as 20 April this year, but is fairly traditional, apart from the fact that it has been transported in time (what opera is not transported in time nowadays?) and the action is set in the early 1950s. The programme book makes a great fuss about “the New Look”, Dior etc, but apart from the costumes being ‘period’ there is very little else betraying the time. All four scenes play in a large pastel coloured room – what varies is the furniture. It is tasteful and inoffensive and so is the director’s reading of the play. Giorgio Germont is stiff and stern but he is sung with great warmth by veteran Samsons Izjumovs, who in the last act, when it is too late feels remorse for what he has caused. Barone Douphol is not the choleric hothead of some productions, rather a balanced gentleman, whose challenge to the duel is uttered in the ensemble of the second act finale as usual, but no big gestures, no gloves thrown. It is a beautiful production in more than one sense.

Normunds Vaicis led a well paced performance, sometimes on the brisk side, and he did what he could to heighten the dramatic tension. This was obvious from the start, where the prelude was unusually full of accents. The party scenes felt a bit hard driven and the chorus were encouraged to sing at a near constant forte, which undoubtedly created some thrill. It was the soloists who had to take care of the nuances, which they did with aplomb.

I had read some rave reviews of Sonora Vaice, who sang Lucia di Lammermoor a few years ago at Dalhalla, a performance I didn’t see. After a slightly hesitant start her voice settled in time for the first act duet with Alfredo, but also in the Brindisi she demonstrated her exquisite phrasing with more nuances than I have ever heard before in this showpiece. By the time she reached her big aria at the end of the act her voice was in perfect shape: beautiful, brilliant and with angelic pianissimo singing. The long scene with Giorgio Germont in the second act revealed that she has true dramatic potential and that she is a superb actress too. I was spellbound during the whole scene. She was just as magical in the final act with an inward Addio del passato and a very moving Parigi o cara. Since Margareta Hallin’s heydays in the early 1970s I haven’t heard a more accomplished Violetta.

I heard the young Ukrainian tenor Dmitry Popov less than two months ago as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto at Dalhalla and was deeply impressed. Like his Violetta he needed some time to warm up and the Brindisi was strongly sung but with slightly gritty tone. He was better in the duet, where they both ended on a beautiful pianissimo, but after the first interval he returned on real top form with a superb reading of his aria, including a ringing cabaletta. He was heroic in the Flora scene and beautifully nuanced in the final act. We will surely hear more of this singer. Samsons Izjumovs warm voice with a timbre reminiscent of Renato Bruson’s made him a suitable Germont and he delivered a fine Provance aria but no cabaletta, which wasn’t a great loss. There were no weaknesses among the supporting cast.

Like the Tallinn opera, Riga also provide surtitles in both the vernacular and English but unfortunately they were terribly difficult to read. Improvement is certainly needed. That apart – and experienced opera goers normally know their Traviata by heart – this was a performance to remember.

Göran Forsling