Night 1: La Traviata at the ROH

ROH, July the 3rd

I wanted to approach this Traviata with "fresh ears" and didn't bother to listen to any of the recordings from the first few nights (abundant in pirate circles) or watch the online videos from the big-screen night of La Traviata. Of course I had already read the reviews, most of them raving, had read the comments of the haters and those of the fans. Thus, I had a very specific idea of what I was about to see. But things weren't exactly the way I thought they would be (alas! those haters!).


Yes, Renée Fleming might have summoned once again what she's been accused of (her so-called mannerisms - the scooping, the overacting etc etc.) but hers was a fine Traviata. Or I would say, a different, fine Traviata.


It was obvious from the very beginning that Renée had revisited both the score and the libretto and wanted her Violetta to sound unique, to sing it like no one has sung it before. And this was quite an achievement. Not really for Act 1, where it was obvious that she 'd been having problems with the fierce high notes and the coloratura of Sempre Libera but rather for Acts II & III where Fleming managed to build a credible Violetta Valery, displaying her wonderful voice, her breathtaking messe di voce and her equation with Violetta. Cons of her performance: well, the scooping, some bizarre chest sounds, the letter reading, and the last few phrases of Violetta "É strano, cessarono gli spasmi..." etc that to my ears sounded quite weird.


Joseph Calleja was absolutely stunning. A healthy, robust voice with solid high notes, golden indeed (no wonder why his second Decca CD carries that title) that left me really impressed.


Same applies to Thomas Hampson(g) who was a dark, authoritative Germont. After a wonderful "Di Provenza" (that usually gets me reaaaally bored- not this time though) he sang an even more beautiful "No, non udrai rimproveri" and he left me breathless with his majestic "Di sprezzo degno".



I might have failed mentioning Tony Pappano in my previous posts about Il Barbiere, but I had no words- the man is a genius! In 2 consecutive days, this excellent maestro conducted a verdian and a rossinian masterpiece with the same ease and made his orchestra product a distinctive sound in both cases, absolutely adapted to the style of the operas (some minor flaws like some temporarily lack of co-ordination between pit and soloists/chorus and my objection to some of his tempi - the presto "Addio del passato" for example- are not even worth mentioning).


Joseph Calleja - Lunge da lei /De' miei bollenti spiriti

Fleming/Hampson - Morró

4 stars for Renée, Joseph, Thomas

The beautiful voice, looking stunning

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"...In particular, there's so much going on in Fleming's interpretation that the connoisseur could not help but be intrigued by what she brings to the role of Violetta.
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The soprano's charisma on the stage is truly magical – she looks dazzling in Bob Crowley's costumes, which we've been so used to seeing worn by dark-haired divas like Gheorghiu and Netrebko – and one simply can't take one's eyes from her. She also uses her instrument with the utmost flexibility, sometimes scaling down to the smooth and soft (as in the exquisite 'Parigi, o cara') and sometimes really letting rip (such as in the first scene of the second act). And she foreshadows Violetta's death extremely vividly by coughing especially loudly during all three acts, though the demise is also done gradually so that - unlike some other divas in the role - the curtain doesn't go up on Act 3 with the scene of a Violetta who's already practically dead, since Fleming's Violetta is a real fighter.
~


Hampson's passionate, elegant, powerful delivery rang loudly through the house and drew ecstatic applause from the audience at the final curtain... "


"...Calleja, meanwhile, has never performed better at Covent Garden: he remains a wooden actor during the more passionate scenes, but the way he swaggers about and throws the casino chips at Violetta in Act 2, Scene 2 totally suits the character. His voice has gained a new gravity, too, and if I'm still not completely enthusiastic about his fast vibrato style, the security of line and relaxed stance he took made his singing a pleasure. It was a surprise, in fact, when he sang only one verse of 'O mio rimorso' and did not take the high C, since he seemed so much in command of what he was doing...."

~

Via MusicalCriticism
Photos by Catherine Ashmore

Seckerson for The Independent:

"...The latest and most mature to do so is the American superstar Renee Fleming and what she has that singers like Gheorghiu and Netrebko before her did not is a wealth of experience and stylistic know how. Alright, so the words are too often sacrificed to the sound and the sound, borne as it is on extraordinary and effortless breath control, is, one could argue, so glamorous as to seem self-regarding. But what a sound it is and how – in true bel canto fashion – it shapes and defines the emotion. The little hairpin dynamics, the wistful portamenti, the way in her climactic act one aria she takes time to savour the “mysterious”, “exalted” tone of the music culminating in a real (and properly ecstatic) trill. Her chest register has more attitude now, too, and there is rage in her demise, the words “It’s too late” rasping with defiance.

Experience and authority fleshed out act two more than one can say with even the young head on old shoulders of Joseph Calleja displaying fabulous maturity. What a distinctive quality this warm and engaging voice has, the flutter of rapid vibrato lending a wonderfully inviting quality to his ample middle range. Then the gaunt and commanding father figure of Thomas Hampson (Giorgio Germont) whose confrontation with Violetta achieved an agonising intensity. Fleming’s numbing pianopianissimo as she agreed to leave Alfredo for the sake of his sister was quite simply great dramatic singing – and how it heightened the impact of the great release “Amami, Alfredo” minutes later..."

Christiansen for the Telegraph:

"...But La traviata is something she finds tougher, as anyone would – it's often been said that Verdi had a different vocal type in mind for each of the three acts, and the emotional variety packed into the role of Violetta isn't easy to unravel.

In the party fizz of the first scene, Fleming certainly sounded uncomfortable and underpowered: she was outsung by her Alfredo in both duets, and the coloratura of "Sempre libera" put her under pressure, not helped by a conductor, Antonio Pappano, with whose tempi she clearly disagreed.

Joseph Calleja was the most endearing of Alfredos, singing with fresh, forthright, vibrant tone, and as Germont Thomas Hampson gave a masterly account of that dreary old aria "Di Provenza il mar"..."