THEATRE REVIEWS

When in 1853 Giuseppe Verdi got together with Francesco Maria Piave to write “La Traviata”, an opera based on the Alexandre Dumas story of a courtesan who falls in love with a young man, he was expecting it to be sung in Italian. So when David Pountney translated it into English everyone expected it would be easier to understand for those speaking English. Alas, this English Touring Opera production failed to keep this in mind, with a cast led by a soprano who trilled the diction out of it. A great pity for the male singers’ diction was perfect. All facts that the director Olivia Fuchs should have noticed.

A nice modern set by Niki Turner gave a background for what promised to be an exciting evening of opera, but it soon turned into a story lacking substance, which was slowed down by the composer’s music. Although the orchestra conductor Edward Gardner took the very fit orchestra along at a good pace the whole opera did not hold together and lacked substance. The soprano Pamela Wilcock gave her all to the part of courtesan Violetta Valéry, but it would have been nice to have heard the words, admirable as the singing voice was. The performance of the evening was given by Antoni Garfield-Henry, tenor, as Alfredo Germont the wealthy admirer. He was closely followed in competence by Darron Moore, baritone, as the admirers father Giorgio Germont.

The whole evening hung round the question of whether an opera should be performed in the language it was written, with above stage sur titles. This performance probably gave weight to the argument for it being sung in its original language. Despite these problems it did not stop the packed audience enjoying an opera they already knew by heart. An entertaining evening, but it would not have filled the theatre for more than one performance and made opera more popular. © BA

“La Taviata” is at York on the 24th of November, 2001. Then at The Theatre Royal, Bath on the 27th, 29th of November and the 1st of December 2001.