La traviata (Opera North – tour)

Following the press night of Opera North‘s La traviata, early reviewers seemed fascinated by the fake-endoscopy of Violetta’s doomed bronchial tubes both at the start of the opera and before her death scene. Sadly, at the second performance the audience seemed to take it more as a discussion topic than a revelatory image; Alessandro Talevi‘s direction and Madeleine Boyd‘s designs work best when they avoid the trickery and get on with a good, straightforward, strongly cast reading of the opera. For instance, while the opening party scene is full of silly costumes, sexual gropings and excessive chorus arm-waving (not good, except musically), the following scene in Violetta’s country house is all elegant simplicity and sympathetic projection of character (excellent, and even better musically).

At the centre of what turns out eventually to be a very successful performance are several newcomers to Opera North. Gianluca Marciano conducts with spirit and some subtlety, with pace and attack, but savouring the hushed string sounds at the start of Act 4. Roland Wood‘s impeccably sung Giorgio Germont combines power with an aristocratic suavity – and he is not afraid to suggest that Germont père is not the nicest guy around. Why do we always melt at his respect for the honourable ex-courtesan and forget his impossibly selfish demands of her?

As Violetta and Alfredo two young South Koreans, Hye-Youn Lee and Ji-Min Park – returning to the company after singing Rodolfo in La bohème – more than compensate for modest acting skills with sincere projection of character and expressive singing. Lee is outstanding, her tone sweet or steely as required, her approach to the part’s technical demands fearless, so that an occasional shrillness at the top of her range is soon forgotten. Park’s ardent tone and clean vocal lines complement her admirably.

If the principals are pretty much new to Opera North, the comprimario roles are unusually distinct in the hands of experienced company favourites and chorus members: Peter Savidge‘s bleakly dignified Baron Douphol, Victoria Sharp's perpetually amused and amusing Flora Bervoix, Louise Collett and Dean Robinson understatedly sympathetic as Annina and Doctor Grenvil. The chorus, even when its members have to stow their dignity in the lockers, produces a mighty sound and, when more sympathetically directed in act 3, plays its part in a warmly witty reading of the Spanish dancers episode.

This is a production that could well stay with Opera North for some time. Its virtues have a solid basis; its unnecessary irritations are probably cuttable.