La Traviata

La Traviata
By Guiseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave. Opera Australia. Directed by Elijah Moshinsky. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. February 3 to April 1, 2017.

Opera Australia's 200th performance of La Traviata had a decidedly international flavour. In the lead as Violetta was Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho, who gave such a masterclass in emotive performance that she prompted the usually reserved Opera Australia audience to their feet.  

She remained in character during the ovation at the curtain call – appearing utterly spent, just moments after a spectacular final collapse onto the stage. The highlights of her singing were the sustained low pianissimo and clarity of her highest notes.

From South Korea was Ho-Yoong Chung as Alfredo. The tenor has a powerful voice which resembles the intensity of a brass instrument at full throttle. Equally enjoyable were moments when he sang off stage, which sounded like a mute had been placed into his trumpet.

Having made an even longer journey to get here (as a child) was Argentinian born baritone José Carbóas Giorgio Germont. His rendition of “Di Provenza il mar, il suol”was flawless and earned the loudest ovation of the night.

With so many famous tunes, commencing with the sublime high violin sustained overture (which immediately prepares the audience for the sadness of the story), it is always a temptation to compare the music to famous recordings. A plethora of coughing in the audience (which can’t be helped and no-one should be blamed for) slightly marred enjoyment of this performance.

It was perhaps more noticeable for me as Opera Australia raised the bar at the last performance I attended - the outdoor production of The Eighth Wonder, where every member of the audience had headphones, allowing for subtlety such as the rustling of paper to be heard clearly.

What remains absolutely vivid is the sumptuous set and costumes. Drawn from designs of detailed 19thcentury impressionist paintings they give immediate grandeur to the production. The rousing chorus filled the stage with passion, particularly during the drinking song.

La Traviata remains one of the world’s most performed operas. Whether Opera Australia has staged it on the Harbour or inside those famous shells, the company uses it as a platform for excellence.

David Spicer

Photographer: Keith Saunders

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.