At the start of their spring visit to Birmingham, WNO delivered a towering performance with Verdi’s classic story of a fallen woman’s life of hectic pleasure, genuine love then ultimate tragedy.
Everything clicked smoothly into place – wonderful voices and great music in what is considered one of the most heart-rending operas ever written, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house at the final curtain.
Black sets and drapes in the three acts seemed to foretell impending doom, though the superb costumes provided a welcome dash of colour for the Brindisi, the drinking song at a Parisian party staged by the popular courtesan, Violetta Valery.
Linda Richardson sings and acts superbly as Violetta who appears to have found real love for the first time when the handsome Alfredo Germont arrives and eventually persuades her to live with him in the country.
Ji-Min Park gives a powerful performance laced with passion as Alfredo, driven to fury when he believes his lover has gone back to her old ways, little realising she has been persuaded against her will by Alfredo’s father Giorgio, impressively played by Alan Opie.
The climax, with the lovers reunited but only as Violetta is dying from consumption, is a memorable end to a gripping opera, with music by the Welsh National Opera conducted by Simon Phillippo.
The WNO stage Boulevard Solitude on Thursday, Manon Lescaut on Friday then La Traviata again on Saturday night.
