La Traviata

Arguably, Verdi’s best known opera, opened at La Fenice, Venice, in 1853. Coming up to date, we also know that La Traviata was the most frequently performed opera in 2017/18.

Fife Opera’s version takes a different slant on the original version, thanks to Director, Vanessa Codutti.  Being a hardened traditionalist, I must admit to being a bit sceptical when hearing about this change. However, once again, I was proved totally wrong! Vanessa opens the opera with Violetta already sick on her deathbed. This, her last night, allows for recollections of her memories, enacted by another (young) Violetta. Foremost in her recollections is the true love of her life, Alfredo. Principal singers in this opera have been double-cast, and the night I attended, the sick Violetta was performed by Frances Taylor, while the Violetta in her earlier years was played by Sarah Neally.  Both singers did extreme justice to their respective characters, while Alfredo (Connor Smith) gave us a superlative tenor performance.   All three singers provided a standard to which the remainder of the cast aspired to, without fail.  As Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father, Ivor Klayman brought his substantial (I’m sure he won’t mind me saying this!) years of experience to the benefit of the cast. Ivor’s wonderful bass/baritone voice always being a great pleasure to listen to.  Violetta’s friend Flora was sung by Katie Forest, and she, together with Violetta’s maid Annina (Héloïse Bernard) also added memorable soprano/mezzo moments in the arias in which they were involved.

Minor principals in the opera together with the Fife Opera chorus all worked together to make this a memorable production of La Traviata. The evening could quite easily have been another run-of-the-mill Traviata, but, thanks to Director Codutti’s fresh conceptions and Musical Director Alistair Digges masterful control of his orchestra and singers the evening became a refreshing change from the norm.

Stage settings, conceived by Vanessa Codutti and realised by John Urquhart were quite inspired and, although simple, allowed believable movement from one house to the other, with the interchange of items of furniture and numerous doorways formed appropriately in an upstage gauze.

Well done Fife Opera for continuing to excel in Grand Opera, in the Kingdom!

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