Great opera is predicated upon a handful of common elements which, while easy to define, are notoriously difficult to master. First and foremost is an emotionally evocative narrative capable of sustaining intoxicatingly heighted passions. Inducing such a sublime condition requires a captivating score matched against a riveting cast capable of fusing libretto with music, amplifying both to an exalted degree. While few productions fully achieve such an eminent goal, the Minnesota Opera’s stunning new production of La traviata, now running at the Ordway Center, proves a thrilling exception. Transcending the graceful beauty of Giuseppe Verdi’s score with mesmerizing performances and a richly imaginative design, La traviata exemplifies great opera.
La traviata, loosely translated as “a woman led astray”, focuses upon Violetta Valery, a gorgeous and renowned Parisian courtesan who has lived only for the acquisition of wealth and instant gratification. Not even the maladies wrought by a fatal illness can alter Violetta’s fatalistic worldview. Such pragmatism is threatened, however, by the arrival of Alfredo Germont, an idealistic young gentleman who, upon declaring his love, awakens long dormant sentiments in Violetta. Though the pair attempts to forge their own path of impenetrable bliss, social judgments, financial hardships, and mortal frailties conspire against the couple’s happiness.
Played with tactful precision by the Minnesota Opera Orchestra as conducted by Michael Christie, the spellbinding power of Giuseppe Verdi’s eloquent score is intimately realized. Blending melodic propulsion with Francesco Maria Piave’s vibrant Italian libretto, the music ranges from suggestively sparse ruminations to baroque explosions of choral exaltation. The interplay between spiritual longing and material reality forms the primary tension that drives the musical progression and informs the captivating performances.
With soprano Elizabeth Futral as Violetta, tenor Bruno Ribeiro as Alfredo, and baritone Stephen Powell as Alfredo’s disapproving father, Giorgio Germont, La traviata offers a trio of astonishing performances. (Note: the roles of Violetta and Alfredo will be played on alternating nights by, respectfully, Georgia Jarman and Daniel Montenegro.) Futral is resplendent in the lead, voicing Violetta’s inner conflict with heartrending arias that soar to resoundingly poignant heights. Distinguished by a dazzling vibrato, spectacularly displayed in Act I’s show-stopping climax, Futral is an absolute revelation. Likewise, Ribeiro (so memorable in last season’s Roberto Devereux) allows vulnerability to color his expressive tenor. And rounding out the three, Powell’s sumptuous baritone establishes resolve, but without sacrificing the underlying sympathy of his character.
The emotive thrust of these characters is given a sweeping range through the imaginative verve of stage director Lawrence Edelson. With stage movement as fluid as the music, Edelson maintains continuous action, pausing only to punctuate key passages. Each scene is a model of mood, from the boisterous opening party, through Violetta’s charming of suitors (wittily recalling Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes or – if you prefer – Madonna’s Material Girl video), past the romantic sting of Act II, all the way to the gripping finale. The dynamic staging also displays masterful shifts between the ensemble chorus and flourishes from such skilled performers as Victoria Vargas, Brad Benoit, and Jonathan Kimple.
Adding further spark to the production is a seamlessly integrated dance sequence choreographed by Megan McClellan and Brian Sostek. Whereas dance passages sometimes risk losing the focus of the overall composition, this particular sequence – involving gypsies and matadors – serves as a refreshing interlude that leads with the nuance of Verdi’s score.
Set designer Tom Mays has crafted a remarkable succession of environments that range from a luxuriously decadent salon, a comfortably furnished country estate, and a Spartan chamber bereft of embellishments. Costume designer Gail Bakkom populates these locales with versatile personality, opening with glamorous ballroom attire and ending in a common nightgown. And from the introductory vision of Violetta sitting apart from her adoring public, a single ray of illumination falling upon her profile, lighting designer Josh Epstein deftly suggests essential points of perspective, especially the loneliness that engulfs the courtesan even in a crowd.
Productions of revered works all too often exchange daring innovation for the safety of imitation, following prescribed patterns of presentation rather than taking artistic risks. The Minnesota Opera’s La traviata is the absolute antithesis of such uninspired productions. Gifted with extraordinary performances and a visionary creative team, La traviata achieves heartbreaking pathos, reasserting the enthralling greatness of Verdi’s masterpiece.
La traviata runs at the Ordway Center through March 13th.
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