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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2010 > November > 10 > Entry
Review: Austin Lyric Opera’s ‘La Traviata’
Austin Lyric Opera went for lush and classic to mark the opening its 24th season Saturday night at the Long Center with its production of ‘La Traviata.’
Opulent sets and costumes, a passionately conducted score and solid performances from the singers marked the robust performance.
Tenor Chad Shelton pleased last season as the Duke of Manua in ALO’s ‘Rigoletto.’ Now, as Alfredo, he brought a rich, resonant tone that was nevertheless nicely uncomplicated. Likewise he infused a good deal of realistic energy into the role of the besotted lover, a nice counterbalance to Verdi’s melodrama.
As the doomed courtesan Violetta, soprano Pamela Armstrong delivered plenty of heart-tugging pathos especially on her arias ‘Ah! for’ lui” and ‘Addio del passato,’ her voice creamy and lyric, yet very well articulated.
Germont, Baritone Grant Youngblood, as Angelo’s misguided father, gave both an expressive and authoritative portrayal.
Desmond Heeley’s sumptuous Victorian interiors and costumes, from Lyric Opera of Chicago, lent an elegance while Christine Binder’s dramatic lighting seemed to emphasize the emotional tone of each scene, again a nice counterpoint to the sentimentality of this favorite tragic chestnut of an opera.
Stage director Garnett Bruce centered the dramatic attention on the principals, which left the chorus adrift though the polished singing made up for it.
In the end, what made this a compelling ‘Traviata’ was the conducting of music director Richard Buckley. Buckley excluded the usual sentimentality of most Traviata interpretations and instead, offered a more delicate, nuanced sound that was therefore more emotionally urgent and credible.
‘La Traviata’ continues 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 12 and 3 p.m. Nov. 14. www.austinlyricopera.org.
Photo by Mark Matson for ALO.
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By Bill
November 15, 2010 12:48 PM | Link to this
Saw it on 11/12.
The review is right on the mark.
The comment about the chorus is especially valid to me. I thought the same as the reviewer while sitting in the audience. That’s the only real negative, though. If it were possible, that’s the time an “assistant stage director” could have helped. I was less than impressed with some of the chorus’ “blocking”, but it wasn’t too much of a distraction as they did well enough.
Buckley is/was passionate and his orchestra was perfect support for the singers.
Sets were beautiful and lighting more than adequate although a little washed out faces in a couple of scenes.
I know I am being overly critical because ALO is great (and a great asset to the city) from which we expect perfection (‘cause they’re pretty close.)