La traviata

Royal Opera House
7.30pm Monday 23 January 2012
Violetta Valery: Ermonela Jaho Bernarda Bobro
Alfredo Germont: Vittorio Grigolo
Giorgio Germont: Paolo Gavanelli

The first of three traviatas scheduled for this leg of Man in Chair’s 2012 travels, this lush, traditional staging by Director Richard Eyre and his Designer Bob Crowley, never fails to delight.

Actually, it could have been four traviatas, had the incomparable Anna Netrebko not cancelled appearances the week before due to poorly timed, but surely necessary, foot surgery. ROH kindly allows tickets to be re-sold so advantage was taken of this service given that advance notice was available this time around. Four years ago, patrons were advised at the door of Ms Netrebko’s indisposition, at which Ermonela Jaho made her Royal Opera debut at very short notice. On that night, having Jonas Kaufmann and Dimitri Hvorovstovsky as the Germonts ensured there was still plenty of incredible talent on display, and Jaho won the house over with an altogether auspicious debut.

With a nod to Groundhog Day, this time around patrons were advised that it was Ms Jaho who was indisposed, paving the way for the House debut of another European soprano, Bernarda Bobro.

Ms Bobro (above) made an incredibly confident debut, clearly highly experienced in the seminal role of Violetta. She maneuvered the massive hoop skirts and crowded stage with ease, and was the very picture of the ideal casting for Violetta. Bobro’s voice covered the range of styles required for a sterling traviata: expressive in snatches of coloratura, commanding in mid range, strong even in pianissimo. Bobro easily filled the House with her voice, having the awareness, even under the inherent pressure of the situation, to adjust her sound to suit the orchestra at times. Best of all, her voice blended beautifully with her two male co-stars, and her acting with them was just as great. It was as if they had been rehearsing together for weeks. Such a passionate “Un di felice” kiss between Violetta and Alfredo cannot be recalled.

Rotating Violettas aside, principal attraction of the evening was the new Italian superstar tenor Vittorio Grigolo, and to say he did not disappoint would be a huge understatement. Tall, broad-shouldered and supremely handsome, like a kind of Hollywood version of an AFL footballer, Grigolo’s voice has a truly thrilling ring that could fill a stadium. His offstage singing during “Sempre libera” was louder than most would be able to achieve onstage. Grigolo absolutely brought the house down at the beginning act two with “La lunga lei/De meiei bollenti spiriti”, caressing the final a capella phrases like a loving poet. The final high note of “Oh mio rimorso” was clearly there but its impact was somewhat lessened due to Alfredo’s exit. Also a strong actor, Grigolo easily captured the impetuous, passionate nature of Alfredo, his quick anger at Violetta’s disappearance making Alfredo’s public humiliation of her completely believable.

They don’t build basses like Paolo Gavanelli any more, his solid build not only supporting his effortlessly powerful voice but also adding to his threatening presence as Giorgio Germont. Gavanelli’s interaction with Bobro during “Dite alla giovine” was intimate and affecting, successfully setting up Giorgio’s shame over his son at the end of act two and his deep remorse over the tragedy of act three.

A disappointing element of the performance was the chorus: their singing was lackluster and their acting was worse.

This production is sure to be staged again at ROH again in the near future, the only surprise might be who will next be discovered as Violetta.

Tosca
Coliseum English National Opera
3pm Sunday 29 January 2012

Floria Tosca: Claire Rutter
Mario Cavaradossi: Gwynn Hugh Jones
Baron Scarpia: Anthony Michaels-Moore

A packed house enjoyed the final performance in this successful encore season.

2010 seems to have been a big year for Tosca. Having finally caught up with this grand, if surprisingly traditional, production it is clear that ENO’s staging was streets ahead ahead of the maligned efforts of Opera Australia and the Metropolitan Opera in that year.

Frank Phillip Schlossmann’s set designs are on a massive scale, easily matching the power of the magnificent score. A through line of gilded excess looks lavish, particularly in Scarpia’s majestic headquarters. A circular motif builds to a huge semi circular stage, resembling a skate ramp, in act three, with a swirling galaxy the literal backdrop for “And The Stars Shone”.

Director Catherine Malfitano keeps the intimate drama ablaze, with the thrilling nature of the opera fully realised. Conductor Stephen Lord adds to the excitement, leading a dynamic performance of the movie soundtrack-like score from the massive Coliseum orchestra pit.

Sung, as in the ENO way, in English, the clarity of the diction made the subtitles superfluous. The English translation, however, does no favours to the beauty and poetry of the score.

Claire Rutter shines as Tosca, capturing both the diva and victim elements of the role and singing magnificently. “I Lived for Art” was exquisite, a suitably solemn moment amidst the relentless action.

Gwyn Hugh Jones was in excellent voice as Cavaradossi, his jolly likability adding significantly to the tragedy. Anthony Michaels-Moore was a powerful, commanding Scarpia, his maleficence palpable across the footlights.

Attendance has been high during this second leg of this return season thanks to Antonio Pappano’s fascinating documentary, which aired on Christmas Eve ahead of a screening of the star-studded Royal Opera House production. Fortunate timing aside, the quality of this production stands on its own considerable merits.

Photos: La traviata – Simon Parris; Tosca – Robert Workman, Tristam Kenton

Vittorio Grigolo and Bernarda Bobro

This reminds me of 17^th January 2008 when Ermonela Jaho took over from Anna Netrebko in the same production. Act I is a tough one to pull off for Violetta, veering from party girl to someone who wonders whether she should continue disdaining love in favour of her life of arid pleasure. Ms. Bobro’s voice sounded a bit light here but her top notes were glorious, and in the scene with Paolo Gavanelli as Alfredo’s father in Act II she really came into her own, both of them beautifully restrained, yet dismissive and finally respectful of one another. Great stuff, preceded of course by Vittorio Grigolo giving vent to his frustrations and his boundless love for Violetta. Huge applause from the audience, and at the end of the opera Mr. Grigolo came forth to claim his due, holding his heart and opening his arms to centre, left and right. His singing was superb, as was his acting in Act III as Violetta is dying. He stood rooted to the spot, until his father gestured to him to go to her.

Paolo Gavanelli as Germont

This Richard Eyre production still works very well indeed. It has an intimate quality sometimes lacking in Traviata, and in the final act I love the big mirror where Violetta sees fleeting visions of her past life. Hanna Hipp was lovely as her maid Annina, and the way Jean Kalman’s lighting falls on her and Violetta at the start of the final act is a work of art.

With fine musical direction from Maurizio Benini in the orchestra pit, the principals, Bobro, Grigolo and Gavanelli were wonderful together. It’s always interesting to see how the baritone plays Afredo’s father — there are so many possible interpretations — and Paolo Gavanelli gave it a memorably restrained gravitas. But main plaudits must go to Bernarda Bobro who was surely not expecting to be on stage, and her very pretty voice infused the role of Violetta with a quiet tragedy. At the end she looked so young, and so washed out, that one could believe her life had come full circle far too soon. The frail one could live no more.

The other performance with the same cast is on January 25, again with Bernarda Bobro as Violetta  — for details click here.

Stefan Anton Reck

Credo che sia al suo debutto con la OSN Rai, Stefan Anton Reck: un debutto con gli onori della inaugurazione di stagione. Il pubblico torinese lo conosce: ha ancora nella mente un bel Tristano al Regio due anni fa. 49 anni, di Baden Baden, ha studiato musica a Berlino; nel 1985 ha vinto il Primo Concorso Internazionale “Toscanini” e poco dopo il primo premio al Concorso “Marinuzzi”. La sua carriera parte proprio dall’Italia: dopo una master class di tre anni a Tanglewood con Ozawa e Bernstein, dal 1990 al 1994 è direttore dell’Orchestra Sinfonica di San Remo, poi per 4 anni dell’Orchestra del Lazio a Roma, quindi direttore fino al 2002 del Teatro Massimo di Palermo. Dal 1997 al 2000 è assistente di Claudio Abbado e mi pare che tale esperienza lo abbia particolarmente “segnato”, cioè ho ravvisato in lui alcune peculiarità riscontrabili in gran parte di coloro che hanno collaborato col grande Direttore milanese. Reck nel concerto di ieri sera (in replica oggi) ha dimostrato di saper equilibrare perfettamente i piani sonori dell’orchestra e, soprattutto nella Sinfonia op.55 di Beethoven, di evidenziare ad es. alcuni interventi dei fiati, che generalmente sfuggono in altre performance. Sono caratteristiche dello stile abbadiano di dirigere ed è comprensibile che il contatto con un grande lasci impronte indelebili in chi, come Reck, ha la capacità di assimilarle e farle proprie.

Stefan Anton Reck

Un programma interamente dedicato a Ludwig van Beethoven: l’integrale delle musiche di scena per Egmont e la Terza Sinfonia op.55. Volendo far le cose in grande si è chiamato a recitar i parlati un grandissimo attore, Klaus Maria Brandauer, che ha finito con l’essere la principale attrattiva della serata.

Klaus Maria Brandauer

Il grande attore ha rielaborato l’adattamento che Grillparzer aveva curato per l’esecuzione delle parti parlate dell’Egmont e le ha recitate, benissimo, nella ligua originale. La Rai, credo su indicazione di Brandauer, ha creato un’atmosfera adeguata ricorrendo alle luci. Peccato che però almeno un terzo degli spettatori rimanessero nella quasi oscurità e fossero impediti a seguire i testi che l’ottimo programma di sala riportava anche in traduzione: temo che non abbiano capito nulla. I due lieder erano affidati alla voce della brava e bella Bernarda Bobro

Bernarda Bobro

Orchestra in piena forma e in ottima sintonia col direttore che mi piacerebbe veder tornare spesso, anzi lo vedrei benissimo come primo direttore ospite: l’Orchestra ne è ancora priva e ne ha un gran bisogno, Reck ha un curriculum in larga parte italiano, mi pare che al primo incontro i risultati siano eccellenti….. Insomma ci sono tutti i presupposti per un lavoro fecondo e gratificante.