La traviata - Scottish Opera

Theatre Royal, Glasgow; 8/5/24.

Scottish Opera: Orchestra of Scottish Opera; Chorus of ‘La traviata’; Stuart Stratford (conductor); Hye-Youn Lee (soprano); Ji-Min Park (tenor); Phillip Rhodes (baritone); Lea Shaw (mezzo-soprano); Nicholas Lester (baritone); Monwabisi Lindi (tenor); Ross Cumming (baritone), Thomas D Hopkinson (bass); Heather Ireson (mezzo-soprano); Fraser Simpson (tenor); Jonathan Sedgwick (bass); Paul Anwyl (baritone)

Scottish Opera’s eagerly-awaited revival of David McVicar’s 2008 production of Verdi’s ‘La traviata’ opened in Glasgow’s Theatre Royal on the night of Wednesday 8th May.  Leo Castaldi directed, with Sir David himself present during some of the rehearsals lending added authenticity to the revival.  Expectations of sumptuous costumes and sets, prompted by the advance publicity, were honoured and surpassed by Tanya McCallin’s design.  Together with Robert B Dickson’s lighting, guided by Jennifer Tipton’s original plan, we were convincingly transported to Paris in La Belle Époque. Andrew George’s choreography added immeasurably to the visually stimulating staging. The Orchestra of Scottish Opera and The Chorus of ‘La traviata’, together with a stellar cast of principals, were conducted by Stuart Stratford. 

Ever since her superb Micaela in the otherwise dramatically compromised Scottish Opera Carmen of exactly a year ago, I’ve been waiting for Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee’s eponymous Violetta.  It was worth every minute of the wait. The dramatic transformation from shallow party girl who has never known true love, via conflicted vacillation between two possible futures, to impassioned devoted mistress of the besotted (but impecunious) Alfredo was matched by a vocal transformation, her timbre infused with increasing warmth. The battle of wills (which she ultimately loses) with Alfredo’s father Giorgio, demanding she sacrifice her happiness for that of Alfredo’s sister, gave the rapt audience fiery vocal power contrasted with heart-rending dejection, the vocal characterisation skilfully matched by body language.  Act III, deathbed from start to finish, managed to deliver the demanding pathos of the role vocally and dramatically without shattering the illusion of a broken body – not always achieved in my experience. This role, in my opinion Verdi’s best for the tessitura, has been waiting for Hye-Youn; she gave it everything.  Superb.

In his Scottish Opera debut, Korean tenor Ji-Min Park took the equally emotionally-charged semi-heroic role of Alfredo. Blinded by love, he must portray a naïve lack of awareness of the oppressive and hypocritical double standards surrounding Violetta’s place in society, an impracticality in the reality of supporting a household, a jealous bitter incomprehension of her sacrifice, and abject remorse when he learns the truth, too late for their dreams to be realised.  Ji-Min gave us all of this and more. His acting in the confrontation with his father at the end of Act II Scene 1, where Giorgio’s emotional blackmail fails to score the success it had with Violetta, was powerful and unforgettable. A fine tenor voice with an impressive emotional range and a strong performance.

“I do not play villains; I play interesting people” – the late great Alan Rickman’s response to a child’s question sheds an unintended oblique operatic light on the character of Giorgio. Not a conventional villain, though as the agent of the twisted morality and double standards of the society, who visits emotional suffering on the lovers, even if motivated by a desire to preserve the illusion of propriety and his daughter’s prospects of an advantageous marriage, his character prompts no affection from a modern audience. His initial attitude to Violetta is contemptuous, but gradually shifts to grudging admiration, when he realises that her devotion to his son, whom she is supporting by selling her possessions, is absolute, yet in the name of love she is willing to sacrifice a future with him. In the end, when it is too late, he realises remorsefully what he has done and begs forgiveness.  An interesting person and a complex character indeed, needing a performer with a commanding stage presence.  New Zealand baritone Phillip Rhodes, a swaggering Escamillo in last year’s Carmen, was fabulous as Giorgio (a character more different from Escamillo being hard to imagine). The flexible expressive timbre and flawless messa di voce of his rich baritone portrayed to perfection every nuance of the shifting dynamic in his duets with Violetta and Alfredo. I could not take my eyes off him when he was on stage.

Another commanding stage presence (and not just because of his tall stature) was Australian baritone Nicholas Lester as the dramatically important Barone, Violetta’s unloving ‘patron’ at the start of the opera and again in Scene 2 of Act II, wonderfully stiff and formal and ultimately intolerant of Alfredo’s emotional meltdown.  English bass Thomas D Hopkinson, a memorable Zuniga in last year’s Carmen, was a sombre baleful Doctor Grenvil in Act III.  Scottish baritone Ross Cumming, whose continued growth as an artist through MMus Opera at RCS into SO Emerging Artist it has been my pleasure to chart on EMR, was a colourful Marchese d’Obigny at the parties in Act I and Act II Scene 2.  Familiar from a SO La Traviata Study Day was South African tenor and SO Emerging Artist, Monwabisi Lindi as Gastone, another party guest.  Other male supporting roles included Scottish tenor Fraser Simpson as Giuseppe, English bass Jonathan Sedgwick as the Commisario and Welsh bass-baritone Paul Anwyl as a ‘Servant’.  Paul was memorable as the Doctor in Paisley Opera’s Macbeth last October, in the company of the wonderful Catriona Clark, watching the descent into madness of Lady Macbeth.

American mezzo and SO Associate Artist, Lea Shaw, a delightful Mercédès in last year’s Carmen and a mischievous Hansel in the SO production of Hansel & Gretel in Paisley in December, was a flamboyant and colourful Flora, Violetta’s good-time-girl friend.  I am willing to bet that half the audience longed to be dressed and coiffed by the staff at SO Production Studios, just on the strength of Lea’s Flora. Fabulous. Scottish mezzo Heather Ireson, a super Cherubino in Opera Bohemia’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ in August 2022, was charismatic as Violetta’s devoted maid Annina.

Production values were uniformly excellent. The generic interior backdrop and the raked floor gave a complete view to every part of the audience, whilst the clever use of curtains allowed a narrower focus to more intimate scenes while prop changes happened out of sight. In the party scenes, in any rare moments where one’s eyes might stray from a principal, something was happening in every corner of the stage. The franco-flamenco fusion choreography in Flora’s Act II Scene 2 party was stunning. The chorus, under Susannah Wapshott’s expert direction, was as radiant as ever. Costumes and hair reached new heights of excellence. I have often said before, reiterate now and no doubt will say again in the future that nobody plays for voices like the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.  A very special moment in Act II Scene 1 comes to mind. Violetta, who has conceded to Giorgio that she will end her relationship with his son, asks God for strength to write the letter she must write to him. Her mental state is hinted at by a plaintive solo clarinet. Kate McDermott’s solo was so heartrendingly beautiful that I discovered to my surprise that I was holding my breath – I dare not guess for how long. The power of opera.

With 5 more performances in Glasgow, 5 in Edinburgh and 2 each in Inverness and Aberdeen, this production is unmissable.  Strongly recommended.