Reviews

LYRIC OPERA OF VIRGINIA
LA TRAVIATA Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011

NEW GAME IN TOWN

It’s not often that one has the opportunity to see the first production of a brand-new opera company. It’s even more rare for that production to be such a musical and dramatic knockout as was Lyric Opera of Virginia’s La Traviata. La Traviata is based on Alexandre Dumas’ La dame aux caméllias, based in turn on the life of a famous Parisian courtesan. The name, “la Traviata”, means “the fallen woman” or “the woman who strayed,” a reference to the hypocritical contempt of the polite society of the day for such unfortunate women. Verdi, however, ennobled the character of Violetta, who risks falling in love with Alfredo yet heeds his father’s plea that Alfredo’s innocent sister may be ruined by the scandal of her brother’s relationship with a fallen woman. Heartbroken, Violetta accedes to his request to renounce Alfredo, asking only, “Embrace me like a daughter; then I’ll be strong.” Germont, expecting her to be a gold-digger and manipulator, is stunned to realize that Violetta truly loves his son and has spent all her money to support him. Returning to the life of pleasure that will hasten her death, Alfredo, thinking Violetta no longer loves him, viciously attacks and insults her at Flora’s party. Germont privately scolds his son for treating Violetta so shamefully — in another piece of hypocrisy, not because Germont himself has interfered with their relationship, but because an honorable man should not treat any woman so badly. Abandoned by her friends, Violetta waits for Alfredo’s return and their brief moment of joy before her death. The fallen woman who risks love, and gives it up to help another, is the moral heroine.

The spectacular French soprano Manon Strauss Evrard shone in the title role as the courtesan Violetta, whose love for the young Alfredo is doomed not only by a hypocritical society but by the tuberculosis that will lead to her early death. Strauss Evrard had power to spare and a strong sense of dramatic urgency. In portraying Violetta’s determined gaiety at the Act One party, her brief happiness of her country idyll shadowed by money worries, her gallant renunciation of Arturo, her return to the ruinous life of pleasure, and finally, abandoned and dying, Strauss Evrard commandingly captured the sweep of her character’s desperation and febrile mood swings.

As Alfredo, the supple and passionate voice of Cody Austin enraptured the audience. Offstage, the young, Texas-born tenor may look as if he just shed his high school football uniform, but close your eyes and he sounds Italian! There’s no other way to describe it. He hasn’t the power yet to match Strauss Evrard (who would?) and his acting is a little stiff — but the voice! As his beautifully trained, well-balanced instrument ripens, he’ll be as remarkable as this debut promises.

Baritone Zachary Nelson brought a huge voice and good acting skills to the role of Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s rich, bourgeois father, limning his character’s concern with appearances and initial contempt for the woman who has snared his son. Nelson’s duet with Strauss Evrard was both dramatic and tender; and he made the most of that outstanding baritone aria, Di Provenza. (An interesting note: All three principals — Strauss Evrard, Austin and Nelson — have been resident artists at Philadelphia’s prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts.)

But the wonderful singing was not limited to the principal roles. Tenor Andrew Seigla, a Richmond native, was engaging and energetic as Gastone. Bass-baritone Christopher Job was a commanding Baron Douphol; he’ll return as Escamillo in LOV’s Carmen. Violetta’s friend Flora was ably sung by mezzo-soprano Ellen PutneyMoore; and one would have like to hear more of bass Erik Kronke’s seemingly bottomless range as the Marchese d’Obigny. As Violetta’s faithful maid Annina, soprano Emily Duncan-Brown was attentive and caring. The smaller roles of Giuseppe (Jake Armstrong), Dr. Grevil (Matthew Curran), a messenger (Zach Rabin) and Flora’s servant (Norfolk State alumnus Pervis Blake) were all sung with enthusiasm and energy.

In fact, the entire production, including the chorus, radiated youthful passion, animation and freshness.

The sensitive, beautifully nuanced baton of conductor Peter Mark, founder and general director of LOV, guided an excellent orchestra that included players from Washington, D.C. and two star students from the Governor’s School for the Arts in a performance that Verdi would have been pleased with, underscoring all the passion and heartbreak of Violetta’s story.

The young stage director, Michael Shell, has a nice sense for both movement and stillness that matches Verdi’s soaring music, especially in the scene at Flora’s party when the spurned Alfredo insults Violetta to the shock of the other guests. Shell also directed the dancers, provided by Todd Rosenlieb, in a gypsy dance with tambourines, highlighted by the colorful, cape-twirling entrance of the toreadors.

Peter Dean Beck’s airy yet substantial scenic design for Florida Grand Opera, with sets provided by Utah Symphony and Opera, provided a background that changed subtly for each scene, as, for instance, in the use of windows — the grand Palladian windows of Violetta’s elegant town house, the airy French doors of the country house where she and Alfredo are so happy, and the shuttered windows of the dismal room where she awaits her death. Adam Greene’s lighting design was attractive and evocative, especially the eerie shadows of the final scene. Wigs, costumes and makeup were all unobtrusively appropriate. The Metropolitan Opera style of curtain calls for principals at the end of an act was very effective — a new company tying into a much older tradition.

Lyric Opera of Virginia might have been thought to be taking a big risk in opening with such a well-known, well-loved opera, because of the danger of its being perceived, and played, as a warhorse. But every part of the production was remarkable — beautifully sung, beautifully conducted, beautifully mounted — and as fresh as yesterday.

—M.D. Ridge