Royal Opera House Traviata marathon begins

La traviata - Royal Opera House, 3 October 2011

Don't worry if you missed this performance - there are another 21 to go. Yes, it's safe to say that if you're fond of La traviata, Covent Garden is the place to be this autumn. With three casts, three conductors, two separate revival directors and a couple of bonus appearances from Anna Netrebko, you'll be spoilt for choice.

Sadly the first night of show that's projected to run for longer than the average West End musical  was "hampered, indeed sabotaged" (as Anne Midgette might put it) by the conducting. And not a baritenor in sight. The culprit was one Jan Latham-Koenig, a Brit despite the name, and an experienced opera conductor to boot.

The translucent delicacy of the opening bars promised much. And it's fair to say he exercised scrupulous control over the orchestral palette throughout, eliciting some beautiful playing. But he just couldn't keep singers and band in the same time zone. The first act threatened to fall apart every few seconds. I've never heard anything quite like it.  It wasn't just one capricious diva throwing him off -  neither soloists or chorus danced to his tune.

It's a miracle the whole thing didn't grind to a halt. He even managed, more than once, to drown out the huge voice of Leo Nucci. Co-ordination gradually improved, but only to the extent that it was slightly less awful than the start. You'd think he'd never conducted an opera before (and the way he buried his nose in the score suggested maybe he hadn't had much experience with this particular one). He has the credentials, and I'm sure he was booked with the best intentions, but I wouldn't blame the management if they quietly substitute someone at least minimally competent for the rest of Koenig's dates.

It seemed the audience were not the sort to trouble with using their ears, judging by the applause (over the music) as the bordello-gilt scenery of Act II Scene 2 was unveiled. But it was quite the worst conducting I've ever heard at Covent Garden.

The evening was at least partially salvaged by Marina Poplavskaya's stunning Violetta. Not everyone likes Richard Eyre's traditionally-styled workhorse production - I do. One of its greatest strengths is its ability to accommodate all sorts of artists and all sorts of interpretations. Poplavskaya's Violetta is regal, imperturbable, lacking the vulnerability that might generate sympathy for her predicament. But it works, because Poplavskaya is completely inside the role, and she makes the words count.  Who cares if her leaps above the stave fall a little short of the right pitch? When she flings out her flattened B's with that much conviction, you're inclined to mistrust your ears, not her tuning.

James Valenti coped much better with Alfredo than he did with Pinkerton a few months back , nailing most of the notes in the expected style. But he gives no clue who Alfredo is, and scant comfort that he actually understands the words he's singing. My last two Alfredos were Kaufmann and Calleja, so I know I'm spoilt, but Covent Garden deserves better. 

And he has zero chemistry with Poplavskaya. They exchanged glares of contempt as if each plotting how best to slip rat poison into the other's champagne. 

Leo Nucci provided a stock Germont, the bonus of a rare genuine Verdi baritone tempered by its now-threadbare condition.

He seemed to have brought a busload of noisy Italian supporters along with him. Was Nancy Dell'Olio one of them? In a backless leopard print chiffon dress, slashed down to the navel and up to the legpit, hair piled into a nest of black snakes, Fancy Nancy (much prettier in real life) offered the evening's only glimpse of true Italian style.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Production photos (above): Catherine Ashmore / Royal Opera House

Curtain call photos (below): intermezzo.typepad.com 

 
 
 

Comments

[Rose-Mary Hyslop]

Pop obviously gave it her all-she looks as if she hasn't managed to shake off the consumption for the curtain call.

[Nikolaus Vogel]

Brilliant IM - the rat poison gag has made my day! She looks more like a Katerina Ismaelova than a Violetta Valery, tbh. Hehe

[Su Traditor]

OT. Angela has cancelled tonight's Faust which will be sung by Malin Bystrom

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Intermezzo replies - probably scared Nancy Dell'Olio will turn up and upstage her

[Su Traditor]

And Grigolo won't work with Malin

[Lily]

No, she's happy she got through the simulcast last week, and to heck with the rest of youse.

[Opera Beginner]

And Grigolo was also absent from tonight's Faust, replaced by James Valenti...

[sjt]

Not quite. Morticia sang on Saturday 1st October, after the HD relay: and sang, I thought extremely well, as did they all (though Hvor will force unnecessarily, as if London was the same as New York, full of stroppy vocal size-queens to propitiate). Grigolo will work with Bystrom: he can't rely on Valenti riding to the rescue now that Traviata's up and running. Besides, Bystrom's all wrong for the role vocally, and can't act it either, so he gets it all his own way.

And Nucci's noisy claque follows him everywhere, with what degree of his own involvement being anyone's guess....

[sjt]

Oops!

So Grigolo didn't sing last night, presumably too busy networking in Germany at the ECHO Klassik Gala awards.

Valenti may not have a strong enough voice - though much of his singing as Faust last week was actually very beautiful, especially in Act III, and much more suavely phrased than Grigolo manages - but he's clearly got the all-American work-ethic and is a born team player, a go-to guy in fact, factors just as important to an opera house as matters merely vocal...

What happens on the 7th & 10th, I wonder, when Bystrom officially takes over?

[Corradino]

I went to the Faust last night and was expecting horrors when I heard that Valenti was singing, but in fact, as sjt says above, his singing was beautiful and sensitive in the soft passages, and he was very impressive in his big aria and love duet. He was rather drowned out in the final trio. Definitely a case of needing to pick the right repertoire for himself! Overall I was pleased to have seen him.

I wasn't expecting to see Angela G, as she makes a point of cancelling on me. Hmmph! The audience roundly booed when her lack of appearance was announced. Food poisoning apparently...

[Opera Beginner]

SJT - the explanation the audience were given about Grigolo's non-appearance on Tuesday was that he did turn up to the Opera House but it soon became clear that he could not sing that night due to a chest infection...

[sjt]

Interesting..

On the Pinocchio principle, someone's nose in the area of WC2 is by now defying gravity, but I'm not entirely sure whose (though I entertain dark suspicions that the porkies are a poisonous mixture of both individual AND institutional).

So: it's now all down to the 7th & 10th. Will he or won't he? Grigolo, or no? (Lasagna could always hop on Eurostar and ride to the rescue: he's singing the role at the Bastille in Martinoty's remarkable come-back from directorial death; and knows the ROH staging well)

[Opera Beginner]

Intermezzo - what do you make of the Orchestra and Amphitheatre offer in the Winter season programme for the Mozart cycle? Tickets for all three operas (Don G / Cosi / Le nozze) are reduced to £438.75, saving £146.25, and £206.55, saving £36.45 respectively? I've never seen such an offer advertised in the programme which is mainly for the general public, as opposed to the package offers available to Friends.

Friends are occasionally offered half price seats, e.g. Stalls seats to three Faust performances recently (plus a glass of champagne).

And, what about the flyers advertising the 'all new student offer' - the usual £10 standbys but also dedicated discounted tickets for two Royal Ballet and two Royal Opera performances a year, and a standing ticket ballot for every main stage production (according to the Box Office, this will consist of four Stalls Circle standing places)?

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Intermezzo replies - it's all David Cameron's fault.

[Nikolaus Vogel]

Note the proportionately much smaller discount for Amphi patrons than for those in the Orchestra stalls, who presumably are still getting their bonuses - unlike taxes, big discounts are not for the little people, it seems. IM is right to blame Camoron! :)

[David]

Last night's drama in the Traviata marathon was generated by a heavy cold Leo Nucci was developing. We were told that they had had to almost cancel the performance.

Thankfully they managed to find somewhere in London one Dmitri Hvorostovsky who manfully offered to step into the part. Cue massive 'Ooooo' followed by a round of applause from the audience. It wasn't clear what he had been doing, but apparently he had been 'singing all day'. Whatever it was, it warmed him up nicely - he was magnificent.

I loved Poplavskaya - yes, not all the notes are as cleanly produced (or pitched) as you might hope but what a performance. I didn't spot any major problems between pit and stage (but I don't have the best ear for such things) - although Jan Latham-Koenig was giving the singers they most extravagant cues

[Ruth]

I loved Poplavskaya too, and I don't usually. I still can't abstractly call myself a fan of hers, but somehow in this she reduced me to a bit of a gibbering wreck. The fact that I hadn't intended to go to this cast at all, but booked a further two of her dates the moment I'd seen it once, says a great deal.

[Miriam]

@ David: Perhaps what Hvorostovsky had been doing on Wednesday was rehearsing for last night's recital at the Barbican