March 22, 2006: La Traviata in Zurich

2006-03-22 La Traviata (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Alfredo Germont = José Cura
Violetta Valèry = Eva Mei
Flora Bervoix = Katharina Peetz
Annina = Kismara Pessatti
Giorgio Germont = Giorgio Zancanaro
Gastone = Miroslav Christoff
Barone Douphal = Gabriel Bermudez
Marquese d Obigny = Pavel Daniluk
Dottor Grenvil = Giuseppe Scorsin
Giuseppe = Noel Vazques
Domestico = Heikki Yrttiaho
Comissionario = Uwe Kosser

Stefano Ranzani, conductor

La Traviata - Verdi
In italienischer Sprache
Zum letzten Mal in dieser Saison
Flimm/Wonder/von Gerkan/Hämmerli/Lühr

Dirigent Stefano Ranzani
Inszenierung Jürgen Flimm
Bühnenbild Erich Wonder
Kostüme Florence von Gerkan
Lichtgestaltung Jakob Schlosstein
Choreinstudierung Jürg Hämmerli
Choreographie Katharina Lühr




This production with its dark walls pretending to be Violetta's party, Flora's house, Violetta and Alfredo country house and Violetta's room was maybe a good idea. Walls could be moved around. But the acting and singing was good. Zancanaro as Giorgio Germont was old and with not so much voice, he crafted his voice well but when his voice was meant to blend well with the others it was often to harsh or too loud, his voice was no longer able to bend and blend in.

Eva Mei as Violetta Valèry was great, very young and beautiful. I thought that sometimes a little more subtleness in acting would have been better. Actually even if Violetta based on Marie Duplessis who died only 25 years old, it would maybe be even better with a more mature Violetta. It is hard to bring depth in this role when one seem always so young, too young as Eva Mei often did. Strange maybe to say that when I found that Eteri Gvazava was a superb Violetta in the La Traviata à Paris 2000. This doesn't mean that I didn't like Eva Mei's Violetta, she was good.

Jose Cura as Alfredo Germont was good in the start and was even better. But it is a hard role to do well, such a well-known opera and not so much to chew on this character. If I found Jose Cura's Alfredo not quite perfect I believe it must have been the director's fault. Or maybe it is just that La Traviata is not my favorite opera, I just love to see Cura in this role. Verona was better, I feel.

Last I will mention the conductor. Stefano Ranzani, not bad. But the orchestra was sometime loud and drowning the singers which was a shame. I believe it was even sometimes too fast. The balance inside the orchestra could be better. Not always should the normal ear hear all the instruments that are playing, sometimes clarity is required but other times not.

The comprimario roles was well done. Dottor Grenvil and Annina was specially good. I missed more personality in Flora.

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