Brava Ermonela Jaho (Netrebko u can go home now)

La traviata - Royal Opera House, 17 January 2008

Denied the advertised Anna Netrebko due to a sudden-onset 'bronchial condition' (which will no doubt clear as soon as teh shops open), we learned only hours before tonight's Covent Garden performance of La traviata that our replacement Violetta was to be Ermonela Jaho, aka -- 'who?' 

Actually, that's not fair -- the name struck a faint bell, and sure enough, a little scrabbling around, and I found her name on a favourite Juan Diego Flórez recording. Well, if she's good enough for JDF.....

The suspiciously perceptive Royal Opera House, who probably by now realise that every Netrebko contract comes with a sicknote, had cannily flown in Jaho the night before. And that's not all - as it became evident that she had every move of this fiddly production pegged, it was obvious Jaho either a) is the world's fastest learner, b) has been cramming DVDs for weeks dreaming of getting 'the call' or c) has somehow and who knows how managed to fit in more than one day's rehearsal.

But enough of the conspiracy theory. Could she do the job? Could she replace the 'once in a generation' performance of the soprano who conquered (-ish) even London's testiest critic?

At first it didn't seem so. In contrast to her classically elegant ballerina looks, her singing was graceless and squally, with a vibrato you could drive a truck through. But she drove pluckily on, and as her solo scene drew the first act to a close, the tone sweetened and smoothed out. Just nerves, then, and who could blame her? Not the easiest way to make a Covent Garden debut.

If her È strano was cautious, her Sempre libera rather buttoned-up, the massive ovation she got at the end of Act I must have boosted her confidence, because after the interval we saw what Jaho could really do.

Jaho may lack Netrebko's brassballed charisma, but she does score in a few areas where Netrebko's not even in the game, namely sincerity, humility and warmth. Her clean, silvery tone is not broadly coloured, nor does she play with dynamic extremes. Nuance rather than gesture is her weapon. As she slid downward through her Act II showdown with Germont père, each tiny straw of hope snatched away from her grasp one by one, the voice glowed and dimmed. Her desperation is corseted and dignified, and all the more credible for it. It was a bravely open performance. I don't doubt Netrebko would have given a very different reading, but Jaho's was subtle, coherent and most of all, touching. I was far from the only one in tears. And more than once.

And I think I should point out that every one of Jaho's notes was clear, even toned and accurately placed - of course that should be a given, but I can't recall the last soprano I heard here who managed it.

Violetta's illness was portrayed in too non-specific a way -  not a cough to be heard (plenty to compensate in the audience of course...) and the protracted death scene, delivered as a Dawn of the Dead zombie walk around the set, was misplaced, but otherwise there were no holes to be picked in Jaho's performance.

And she had fine support from Jonas Kaufmann as Alfredo and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Germont. Vocally and dramatically Kaufmann was faultless, and so hawt you could fry eggs on him. And not one second of 'underpowered' either, as some of the first night critics claimed - every note was stadium-sized. Though he remains about as Italian as Hamburger con cipolle, this is no flaw in a performance this dynamic and committed.

Hvorostovsky sang wonderfully throughout, with a great attention to detail. He had the appropriate patrician assurance for most requirements, a natural authority that marked his presence, but couldn't unbend sufficiently to make key moments like his final reconciliation with Violetta work dramatically.

Although none of the smaller roles were hugely impressive, the ROH chorus once again did a fabulous job, despite in some places getting not a lot of help from conductor Maurizio Benini, who should be collared for reckless disregard of an orchestra. There were so many instances when musicians threatened to part company totally with singers. But he did pull out the light, sprightly performance that was needed.

Just before the performance started, a cheer went up. I looked around, and there, in one of the boxes, were a bride and bridegroom in full wedding gear, veil included. What a way to start a honeymoon. I do hope Netrebko didn't ruin their special day by not turning up, but they looked happy enough. There were plenty of people not best pleased before the performance (including some Germans who'd travelled just to see Netrebko) - but I didn't hear one complaint at the end. Could Jaho be the cure for Netrebko cancellitis?

***UPDATE*** - check out another perspective on the same performance, and a useful round up of the reviews, from Mad Musings of Me

above, Ermonela Jaho sings from La traviata - not tonight's production though.

Comments

[Franz Leopold]

Never seen a comment on this (always wonderful) blog yet so I hope this isn't a waste. I thought JK indulged her in act 1 and so she played safe. The voice then was the size of trieste or vichy not covent garden. JK sounded like an excellent lieder singer who had stumbled into an opera house. She certainly could act but had not yet sung. But then DH, a very different beast, came out in Act 2 and challenged her directly. I suspect he expected to bury her, this tiresomely presumptive pretender. But no. She uttered the odd unheard expletive and took him on. She didn't exactly win immediately, who could, but she did do the part justice. Which means she did win by the end.

[Extatic]

Would you agree with the comment of Franz Leopold about her acting / stage presence?

[inter mezzo]

She's not Netrebko, but she certainly understands the role, and she more than held her own. Mind you, next to the Siberian Pine, it wasn't too hard to look like Meryl Streep....

[JSU]

"She's not Netrebko"

You say that like it's a bad thing!

(The best -- most moving -- Met Violetta of recent times, too, was the least heralded.)

[paul]

Went to the 2rd performance and was very underwhelmed. Singing which did the job, but never moved once. i dont think i would want to hear her for many evenings. I just found it too hard /narrow, but ironically not focused and spread at times. But i was unconvinced in her character the most, more of a sweet marguerite in Faust, to me at least. I can only say what i feel.Dmitri was head and shoulders the best vocal performance.

[paul]

Sorry few typos above but it was the 23rd of Jan performance i went to.

[Mark]

I went on 23rd Jan, and thought Ermonela Jaho gave a very vulnerable and moving portrayal of Violetta - not flawless (e.g. her opening note of the "Brindisi" aria sounded flat to me), but she's young and given that she has only had a few days to get used to the production, pretty amazing really. In Act 3 (which musically suited her voice better than the other acts in my view) she was wonderful, both in terms of her acting and her soft singing.
Jonas Kaufmann has a beautiful, rich tenor voice and he has really blossomed since I saw him in La Rondine a few years ago. He didn't put a foot wrong all night as far as I could tell - his singing in Act 2 especially was to die for, and he was commendably petulant during the gambling scene! Hvorostovsky was predictably excellent too as Germont, he never seems to need to breathe. He got probably the biggest ovation of the night after "Di Provenza il Mar." He can't act, but fortunately in this role he rarely needs to, and the voice more than makes up for it. For anyone with tickets for the remaining performances, there is no need to be too downcast if Netrebko fails to recover.

[Norbert Landwehr]

My wife and I were two of the Germans who had flewn in to London to hear Netrebko. Lots of money for an unreliable singer (e.g. Salzburg prices were several times the London ticket price). But if you get somebody like Jaho standing in for Netrebko you may be tempted to buy more tickets for Netrebko’s (or who's?) next performance. Jaho - I could not find her age - could have a better and more consistent future than arrogant Netrebko. No matter that Netrebko "could have sung" with more power. As a simple member of the audience I can’t enjoy "could haves". But real Jaho grew from Verdi's time to time and over all gave a really brilliant performance.
And if you even more get Jonas Kaufmann and Dimtri Hvorostovsky – the latter the first to get a frenetic burst of applause by the until then reserved audience – you travel home with marvellous music on your mind. Thank you, Royal Opera, farewell, Anna! And welcome Ermonela, hope to hear you again.

[Ferid Bala]

zonja E.Jaho, jeni një artiste e madhe që me emrin e vepren tuaj i jepni nder emrit shqiptar dhe ngrin lart vlerat e artit interpretativ të traditës se skenës tonë.Keni një zë të mrekullueshëm dhe një teknikë të lart vokale. Që kur isha në Kanada kam lexuar shumë për Juve dhe kamë shkruar që në vitin 2001, në një enciklopedi të vogël botërore pë artin vokal në mbarë botën ku edhe ju bëni pjesë në mes të aeristave më të mëdhej të artit vokal Shqiptar. Ju uroj shëndet e suksese të më tejshme në artin tuaj të bukur. Dashuri e rrespekt Ju dërgoj na Shkodër locja plakë. Ferid Bala.
P.S. unë jam një pedagog plak i kantos këtu në qytetin verior.

[Hektor Leka]

Ky eshte materiali qe pata lexuar pak a shume dhe ne shqip(e mbaja mend dhe diku tjeter ,por nga qe lexoj shume e s'mbaja mend se ku.)

[aa]

elle est extraordinaire! c'est la prochaine star du chant, c'est certain.