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| screenshot from the MN Opera website |
Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata
The Creative Team
Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Franklin
Stage Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louisa Muller
Scenic & Costume Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Isabella Bywater
Lighting Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcus Doshi
Hair and Makeup Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Zimmerman
Choreographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heidi Spesard-Noble
The Cast
Violetta Valéry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicole Cabell
Alfredo Germont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jesús León
Giorgio Germont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joo Won Kang
Gastone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Sanders
Baron Douphol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicholas Davis
Marchese D’Obigny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Thurston
Doctor Grenville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wm. Clay Thompson
Flora Bervoix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bergen Baker
Annina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danielle Beckvermit
Giuseppe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darrius Morton
Messenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tony Potts
Flora’s Servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joel Mathias
This past Cinco de Mayo weekend, I had the privilege of attending MN Opera’s season closer, La Traviata (The Fallen Woman)—the most-frequently-performed opera of all time, enjoying 173 worldwide productions this season alone (statistic provided by OPERABASE at operabase.com, retrieved May 6, 2019). With music composed by the colossus of operatic composers, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), and libretto by Francesco Maria Piave (1810-1876), what better way to end the year than with this romantic giant.
Nicole Cabell, the California-born soprano, whom you may recall from MN Opera’s 2016-2017 production of G. Puccini’s, La bohème, returns once again to grace the Ordway stage as the evening’s leading lady, Violetta Valéry. The role of Violetta is not for the faint of heart. At first, we find her character merry and gay, with soaring, coloratura lines, which Cabell performs with such suppleness and agility, tossing off staccato A’s above the treble staff as if mere vocal trifles in the famous duet: Un dí, felice, eterea (One day, happy and ethereal) (as done here at 00:14:49). But, high E-flat in the first act’s concluding aria: Sempre libera (Always free) aside, her role darkens more and more as the opera progresses from the joy and abandon that comes from living a hedonistic lifestyle, to the anguish and fear that often accompanies self-sacrifice and, yes, even death itself. Cabell says in an interview, “You need three different voices to sing this opera,” and she achieves just that—in the span of only two hours mind you. Brava.
When it comes to leading gents, I have fallen in love with Mexican tenor, Jesús León, who sang the role of Alfredo Germont. His musicianship, extraordinary; his tone, clear as a bell. León shone brightly Saturday as not only a splendid solo singer but a sensitive and musically-aware ensemble singer as well. Unfortunately, such was not the case with South Korean baritone, Joo Won Kang, whose fuzziness in pitch made the very long but crucial dialog between he and Cabell in Act II harmonically uncomfortable at times, most especially at the end of the duet: Dite alla giovine, sì bella e pura (Tell the young girl, so beautiful and pure). I actually found myself greatly concerned over whether or not they would arrive successfully, that is, in good tuning, at that final tenth—the parallel movement preceding was a bit rough. Now, to Kang’s credit, his aria: Di Provenza il mar, il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò? (Who erased the sea, the land of Provence from your heart?) brought a tear to my eye, but then again, nostalgia always gets me right in the gut, especially when sung on a high four-three suspension (high note, G-flat, as done here at 1:01:27)) as beautifully as he sang it Saturday.
All in all, the evening was an overwhelming success. And though the set design (by Isabella Bywater) left a bit to be desired (I mean, who cannot help but think of Thaïs (2017-2018) when recalling over-the-top, FANTASTIC final production sets by Minnesota Opera?) the costuming, likewise designed by Bywater, was exquisite and so-finely detailed. And, as always, Christopher Franklin and the MN Opera Orchestra delivered a fine accompanimental performance, and the house (which was unsurprisingly full) was energized and engaged throughout. I recommend one’s attendance at any of the upcoming seven performances. Please visit MN Opera's site for more details and showtimes. This is Mark Anthony Rodriguez contributing to “Life in Revue.” Enjoy the show.
Photos by Dan Norman from MN Opera at http://www.mnopera.org/season/2018-2019/la-traviata/
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