Scottish Opera - La Traviata

OPERA

What better opera for St Valentine’s Day than La Traviata? Verdi’s impassioned tale of the tragic heroine whose love is truer than true, however, is much more than heady romance. In David McVicar’s lovely-to-look-at new production for Scottish Opera he shows a genuine depth of human understanding of Violetta, the doomed courtesan. With soprano Carmen Giannatasio superb in her sensitive and all-encompassing interpretation, Violetta pulls at the emotions with heart-breaking vulnerability.

The hedonistic opening champagne party contrasts all too poignantly with the purity of her love for Alfredo, and the struggle against inevitable death. As her lover, Federico Lepre is more lightweight in voice, underlining his youth and immaturity. Yet his love is what Violetta craves for – not the superficiality of endless glamourous affairs. In the pit, the orchestra – conducted by Emmanuel Joel-Homak – is in empathy with the opera’s emotional appeal, although the chorus didn’t quite sing with the vitality of A-list party guests.

La Traviata, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 6, Sun 8, Thu 12 & Sat 14 Feb.