Sublime Beauty
Opera Holland Park can manage operas both sublime and ridiculous (at least in directorial conception, if not authorial intention).
Their Traviata is sublime. Set half a century or so later than its creation – at the high point of French café society around 1900 – it manages to combine effective staging with significantly good singing; outstanding, as they should be, are Alison Langer as the consumptive Violetta; Matteo Desole as her innamorato Alfredo and especially Michel de Souza as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s awful dad.
The action, until the final dreadful scene, is all upstage, in quite a confined area, which means the iconic Opera Holland Park Chorus (acting La Belle Monde of turn of the century Paris – many en travestie and all in evening dress – which might be either louche staging or personal choice) appear even more numerous than they are.
This means the move right downstage for the final, fatal moment, now in front of the orchestra is even more engaging and poignant.
All told, a thoroughly good production. And another win for OHP.