OBSERVER: La Traviata
“What’s not to love about Verdi?” I asked my companion for the evening at the Australian Opera’s production of La Traviata. The maestro could sway the audience with a lyric motif that could evoke both delight and sadness. As the courtesan, Violetta (Stacey Alleaume) is dying in the final act, echoes of the theme that represented her love for Alfredo (Filip Manu) accentuates the emotion of her coming demise. We are left emotionally bereft.
Alleaume captures that emotional range – her character having sacrificed everything. Her voice transports the audience, the colour and texture redolent with passion, pity and tragedy when required. Manu’s Alfredo is caught up in the wake of the path Alleaume ascribes for her character. Their duets are, however, passionate and moving.
Director Sarah Giles has incorporated tableaus and motifs to accentuate the indulgent world of Paris. The set by Charles Davis provides for ante-rooms and an outdoor setting with a simple sliding of walls that allows the change of acts to work seamlessly. The opening crimson lighting (Paul Jackson) denotes a red light district with Violetta attempting to extricate herself from a liaison in one room while the party continues next door. Her character is set. Giles has also added dumb show figures to symbolise events as characters sing. This doesn’t always land. But the simple falling of leaves from a tree epitomises what is to come.
Conductor Giampaolo Bisanti provides equitable restraint with the orchestra building on the rising emotion of the moment without letting it escape. The Regent Theatre provides the audience with a greater awareness of the role of the orchestra as it is so exposed. This means the acoustic balance is not always that of a modern concert hall, but it makes the interplay between the characters on stage and the pit an essential part of the action. This would have been the case in Verdi’s day.
La Traviata is an opera for the people. A socially ostracised courtesan teaches the so-called elite the true meaning of love and honour. It is a story of redemption and sacrifice but, alas, this can only lead to tragedy.
Review by David McLean