Met - La Traviata

[Dave2002]

The Met La Traviata with Diana Damrau at the cinema was brilliant tonight. Initially I was slightly disappointed, but as things moved on I was amazed at her acting ability. Her singing was pretty good too. Quinn Kelsey as Germont was the other stand out performer, IMO.

[Constantbee]

Thanks for this, Dave. It did look good and I was hoping to catch the Met replay at a matinee on Tuesday but the car's got to go in for repair ('can't be too careful these days, Mrs Bee ... ' etc etc ) and it's doubtful whether it'll be ready in time

[Dave2002]

If you can pick it up on a replay I’d say go for it. I really wanted to see Diana Damrau based on a YouTube video of her in Magic Flute. This experience was not quite what I was expecting, but by the end I was convinced that my assessment beforehand was correct. Her portrayal of Violetta was superb.

Good luck with the car.

[bluestateprommer]

The Met La Traviata with Diana Damrau at the cinema was brilliant tonight. Initially I was slightly disappointed, but as things moved on I was amazed at her acting ability. Her singing was pretty good too. Quinn Kelsey as Germont was the other stand out performer, IMO.

Agree about DD and QK, splendid on both counts. JDF wasn't quite in their league vocally, but he gave it his best, and characterized the impetuous hothead side of Alfredo quite well.

The staging by Michael Mayer had some oddities of choice besides the obvious one of introducing Germont's daughter as a silent character in Act II (bad move, IMHO. Now, had MM done this in Act III, I could understand that.) In the Act I party scene, the uniform arm movements of the chorus looked really forced, amateurish, and just all-around lame and doofus-y. Having the bed center-stage all throughout was also kind of "huh?" in literal terms, even if one rationalizes the whole production as Violetta's feverish reliving of her last big romance at the moment of her death.

But vocally, well worth the trip to the movies for DD's singing and acting, as you noted. At the very end, nice gesture of YNS to bring on stage the orchestra to take a bow, as he did on opening night.

[Dave2002]

Agree about DD and QK, splendid on both counts. JDF wasn't quite in their league vocally, but he gave it his best, and characterized the impetuous hothead side of Alfredo quite well.

The staging by Michael Mayer had some oddities of choice besides the obvious one of introducing Germont's daughter as a silent character in Act II (bad move, IMHO. Now, had MM done this in Act III, I could understand that.) In the Act I party scene, the uniform arm movements of the chorus looked really forced, amateurish, and just all-around lame and doofus-y. Having the bed center-stage all throughout was also kind of "huh?" in literal terms, even if one rationalizes the whole production as Violetta's feverish reliving of her last big romance at the moment of her death.

But vocally, well worth the trip to the movies for DD's singing and acting, as you noted. At the very end, nice gesture of YNS to bring on stage the orchestra to take a bow, as he did on opening night.

I think you have identified the strengths of the production. At least in this production there was a bed in the last act - unlike the ENO performance in which Violetta was digging her own grave before falling into it.

I agree about the whole orchestra taking a final curtain call - never seen that before - nice touch.