La Traviata

The standing ovation for this revival of La Traviata is for one, primary reason: the star, Nicole Car. This young Australian soprano is triumphant in her debut as Violetta.

The other lead actors are good too - and this is a fine Opera Australia production, even if it feels past its prime. But what stands out is Car’s wonderful voice: warm, gorgeous and able to power through any scene, even in her character Violetta’s most vulnerable moments.

At one point, while Violetta is slumped over a couch after being humiliated by her lover Alfredo, her voice emerges as if disembodied, taking over the room with its beauty and strength. Violetta may have been crushed by the men around her but she remains stoic and resolute. 

Car takes over every scene, only matched in the opera’s most famous song: the party anthem “Libiamo ne' lieti calici” (“Drink from the joyful cup”). She is joined in this romp by Ji-Min Park - who portrays Alberto with a wondrous tenor tone - and the full company. It’s a rousing start to the show.

The first act is short and enthralling. And while this show has been around for more than a decade, the reveal of the stage for the second act still draws a gasp. Michael Yeargen’s set captures all the dark romance of an autumn afternoon at a French countryside mansion. The setting for the third act is foreboding - Violetta’s Paris bedroom a stark contrast with the street party outside. This is all captured with clever sound design and Nigel Levings’ beautiful lighting. 

While he has a deep and full voice, Vitaliy Bilyy does not make Alberto’s father Giorgio Germont very likeable. Admittedly, his demand that Violetta leave Alfredo, whom she now loves deeply, is never going to garner much sympathy. But he comes across as cocky and oppressive rather than a father with a deep heart, somewhat torn when Violetta shows such nobility in the face of his cruel request. 

The second scene of the second act needs to be revised: the gypsy women who enter the party seem awkward, only made less so by the even worse entrance of male matadors, half of whom are stuck behind a screen as they dance. But the scene improves, with the help of Car, who gives the scene a glorious finale as her Violetta is left humiliated by the man she loves.

This tried and tested production continues to impress but is given a remarkable edge by Car. She is a beautiful soprano, commanding the opera stage. She is also due to perform with the Australian Chamber Orchestra next month - the diary is marked out.

Peter Gotting

Photographer: Prudence Upton