La Traviata, at least
as far as the eponymous tragic-heroine
is concerned, is an opera of two distinct
parts. In Act 1 the role demands a lyric
soprano of lightness and agility and
with secure coloratura. Acts 2 and 3
on the other hand require a voice of
greater weight and colour. These qualities
are necessary if the singer portraying
Violetta is adequately to characterise
and express the emotional circumstances
and mental state of the character. Since
Mercedes Capsir in 1928 over 25 sopranos
have set down their interpretations
on record, some more than once. Regrettably
a record does not always catch a singer
in her vocal prime. Many critics revere
Callas’s performance at La Scala in
1955 under Giulini’s baton as a non-pareil
histrionic experience. For better or
worse that performance was not taken
into the studio. Even on officially
released EMI live recordings the diva’s
performance, in variable sound and without
the stage images, is not wholly convincing.
Of the studio stereo recordings one
of the best sung is that with Caballé
as a fragile Violetta with sotto voce
coloratura and Bergonzi as the most
elegant Alfredo on disc (RCA). Regrettably
Prêtre’s conducting is leaden.
The best-conducted versions are those
by Muti, Kleiber and Solti. Muti (EMI)
eschews any unwritten decoration and
Scotto’s coloratura in Act 1 is not
wholly convincing. Her Alfredo is the
elegantly phrased but nasal Alfredo
Kraus. Carlos Kleiber (DG) is the most
accomplished conductor but Cotrubas
as Violetta is too fragile by far for
the dramatic confrontations of Act 2
and the emotionally heartrending realisations
of Act 3. Solti, in the 1994 live recording
from Covent Garden (Decca), has Angela
Gheorghiu as the most accomplished Violetta
of recent times; Lopardo is an adequate
Alfredo and Nucci a rather vocally wiry
Germont père.
The conducting on this
present issue is equal to the best.
Lamberto Gardelli trained under the
great Tullio Serafin. His pacing of
the drama, support for his singers and
sheer musicality shine throughout the
performance. His Violetta is Mirella
Freni. In the period of this recording,
made I believe for TV, she was at the
zenith of her considerable vocal powers
as arguably the outstanding lyric soprano
of her generation. It was the period
she recorded her Mimi (1972) and Butterfly
(1974), both for Decca under Karajan;
interpretations and recordings hardly
bettered since. Freni had become a Karajan
favourite with the 1963 film of La Boheme.
In 1964 she sang her first Violetta
under his baton at La Scala, a mere
three years after her Covent Garden
debut in the light lyric role of Nanetta
in Falstaff. It was a step too far too
soon and she flopped, badly. Some have
blamed the Callas legacy at La Scala
for the audience and critical reaction.
Other dependably objective commentators
questioned her vocal and histrionic
suitability for the role. Freni bounced
back the following year, with her calling
card Mimi at the Met and the damage
to her burgeoning international reputation
was limited. She was tempted back to
Violetta by Giulini and had a deserved
success in the role at Covent Garden
in 1967; since when it has not played
a prominent part in her repertoire.
Listening to this performance
I cannot understand the Freni-in-the-role
doubters who extol Scotto’s recorded
assumptions. At the party in Act 1 she
is light-toned and suitably frivolous
(CD 1 trs. 3-4). In the coloratura of
this act she is perhaps more exact than
spontaneous and wisely eschews the unwritten
high E flat. But it is her interpretation
of Violetta in Acts 2 and 3 that make
this recorded assumption one of considerable
achievement. Her confrontation with
Germont père (CD 1 trs. 12-17)
that is at the heart of the drama shine
with vocal characterisation of the highest
order; first she is affronted by his
suggestion and imputations and then
agonises over her decision. Her Act
3 Teneste la promessa and Addio del
passato (CD 2 tr. 13) are delivered
with richly coloured and covered tone.
To this add Freni’s wonderful control
of legato and breath allied to total
involvement in the characterisation
of the situation. This listener was
left emotionally bereft. To follow is
Violetta’s death scene and Freni loads
even more feeling and poignancy into
her singing. Aided by Gardelli’s conducting
Freni’s Act 3 Violetta is simply one
of the best assumptions on record.
Violetta is only one
of the three prima roles in the opera.
Franco Bonisolli sings her lover Alfredo.
On stage, and doubtless on TV, he cut
a fine handsome figure. His Alfredo
is ardent and at times excessively so.
Not renowned for vocal sensitivity his
phrasing can be choppy and his tone
throaty (CD 1 trs. 9-10). He does manage
to fine down his large voice somewhat
for an appealing Parigi o cara without
erasing memories of what the more sensitive
Bergonzi and Pavarotti (Decca with Sutherland)
do with the phrases in that duet. As
Germont père, Bruscantini is
rather dry-toned but gives a very characterful
and appropriate portrayal of the implacable
father. Unlike Milnes on the RCA issue
he sounds appropriately old enough to
be Alfredo’s father without being vocally
wavery. His biting incisive tone in
the Act 2 confrontation with Violetta
would frighten all but the most resolute
young woman. His arrival at the party
when he denounces his son for insulting
Violetta is formidable (CD 2 tr. 8).
Although Sesto Bruscantini’s voice has
lost much of the sap of his younger
self, his voice does not spread under
pressure. His tone does however get
throaty in reaching for the lower notes.
His Di Provenza il mar (CD 2 tr. 3)
is rather too careful and lacking in
spontaneity. Overall a professional
rather than endearing performance by
a great singer with over 100 roles in
his repertoire.
As well as a track
listing the booklet has an essay on
the background and composition of the
work and a good plot summary, which,
regrettably, is not track-related. The
essay and plot synopsis are given in
English, French and German. There is
a full libretto without any translation.
The recording is clear and open in a
natural and airy acoustic with a good
balance between orchestra and singers.
This recording has
been absent from the catalogue for some
time. It deserves to be back. It stands
equal among many other recorded performances
of the work whilst Freni’s Violetta
is among the most characterful on record.
Her Act 2 and 3 portrayals can stand
comparison with the best. At its modest
price Freni’s fans need not hesitate.
Nor should others. Thoroughly enjoyable
and highly recommended.
Robert J Farr
Chorus of the Staatsoper Berlin 
