For someone who has truly lost interest in La Traviata, I’ve been quite often in the opera house for it. To be more specific, the only reason why I went to the Deutsche Oper today was Anja Harteros – and maybe I was curious to see Simon Keenlyside after a while (last time, it was 1999) – but it was not to be, for he cancelled due to illness. In any case, an entirely non-Italian cast proved to be interesting. Götz Friedrich’s thoroughly outdated production was given an accidental freshen-up out of having a non-narcissistic tenor and a world-class diva in the title role.
Anja Harteros has sung the role of Violetta Valéry in the world’s leading opera houses and developed her stage performance with various directors, and I can only guessed that, faced with the prevailing shabbiness, she has brought her own stage direction as prime donne in the XVIIIth century would do with their arie di baule. Truth be said, the German soprano’s overall attitude is unfit for the role – she seems more voracious than seductive in act I, more regal than vulnerable in act II and more tragical than touching in act III – but her intent to inhabit the stage and react to what happens in it simply made the show more interesting. This does not mean that it was a gripping performance – theatrically speaking, it was not. It was rather an affair of craftiness than of emotional generosity. But then she needed a director to guide her through this process. In act III, when she decided to stumble around a bit to show Violetta’s declining health and yet her willingness to go on, the poor tenor probably did not get what was going on and kept to what has been blocked, leaving his ailing beloved to fall to the ground and get up by herself. One could say “of course, he is a tenor!”, but I have one good thing to say about Pavel Cernoch. As he seemed to be really doing what he was told to do, his Alfredo seemed particularly composed and naive, what makes far more sense with the libretto than the usual bravado displayed by most tenors. For once, his increasing childishness in his act II scene with his father (by the end, he was in fetal position on a couch) explained a lot his subsequent behavior.
Although Yves Abel conducting missed some important theatrical moments (particularly Alfredo’s “denunciation” of Violetta in Flora’s party), he did give time for his orchestra and singers to build their phrases in a musicianly and meaningful way. The orchestra, in spite of some blunders (especially in the overture), had a beautiful, full sound and the overall impression was of polish and elegance. With the help of his soprano and his baritone’s expressive performances, this approach has somehow paid off.
It is not only Anja Harteros’s attitude that seems distant to the role of Violetta, her big, creamy lyric soprano is not Italianate and lacks the brightness usually associated to it. But what she has works very well for the role – the voice fills the theatre without problem, her low notes are natural, her high notes never turn out shrill and she has enough flexibility for the fioriture. Actually, she seems in absolute command of what she has to do in this difficult part, what is already remarkable. I would guess that she has probably studied some of her famous predecessors’ performances; she seems in this role very keen on producing some hallmark “Italian” qualities, such as the tasteful use of portamento, knowing where to let the natural rhythm of Italian language to lead the way and some acting with the voice (that I am not too happy about). Her balance between portraying the deterioration of Violetta’s health and keeping a pure line in act III was extremely well-judged, and I will not be able to tell if the sudden choke that interrupted a sustained pianissimo was involuntary or not – it just worked perfectly in the situation.
Markus Brück proved to be more than a replacement for Keenlyside – I sincerely doubt that that the British baritone would have done better. As always in Italian roles, Brück sings with unfailing grace, almost Mozartian musicianship and with more than necessary volume and firmness of tone. I know I have written here that some of his Wagner performances were disappointing – especially Beckmesser and Gunther – but I would like to make clear that Brück is a first-rate singer who deserved more acknowledgment outside Berlin.
As for Pavel Cernoch, I am not sure if this repertoire is the best fit for him. At first, he sounds like the poor man’s Neil Shicoff, but unlike the American tenor he lacks brightness and slancio in his high register – and the problematic optional high c in O mio rimorso was reached by virtue of good, old falsettone. He seems to be a sensitive singer and avoided vulgarity throughout, but the voice is basically too tight and lacking roundness for Italian opera. The performance booklet says Steva in Janacek’s Jenufa is his calling-card role and I can bet he sounds far better in it.
“Truth be said, the German soprano’s overall attitude is unfit for the role – she seems more voracious than seductive in act I, more regal than vulnerable in act II and more tragical than touching in act III – but her intent to inhabit the stage and react to what happens in it simply made the show more interesting. This does not mean that it was a gripping performance – theatrically speaking, it was not. It was rather an affair of craftiness than of emotional generosity.”
Indeed.
Still, within the context of her “limitations” she does quite well and manages to sing the role with technical finesse and tonal beauty that eludes others not burdened by such “limitations”. This applies even to a Gheorghiu who has been (and can still be when the mood strikes her – as it did in a performance last spring) a great Violetta but one who cannot and I don’t think ever could sing the role as well top to (and especially – as you note RML) bottom as Harteros.
Traviata is certainly one of the half dozen (probably 2 or 3 with Boheme Carmen?)) best known operas for people who aren’t into such things, as evidenced in something like ubiquity(?) in popular culture (most famously in Pretty Woman, I think). When I first became interested Opera and classical music in a focused way (rather than as something my parents tried – with futility – to foist on me or something that was just out there in the ether) I my interest turned immediately to Wagner, Mozart and Strauss and yet I retained a fascination with Traviata and was eager to hear it. There are certainly some extraordinary moments in the piece but my enthusiasm for it wore out rather quickly and I (as you) lost interest. Still its almost something of an obligation to hear the role sung by famous divas and I dutifully troop over to do so when circumstances permit. By a similar token, a lot of “famous divas” seem to view it as a duty to sing Violetta when they do not necessarily connect with the role – Fleming probably being the most famous recent example. In this way there’s a lot of “duty” going around and probably not enough real passion and empathy and for this reason the experience tends to disappoint.
In the case of Harteros I did not think Violetta to be a particularly good fit and did not go to hear Traviata or to hear a “Great Diva” sing Violetta but to hear Harteros because I refuse to pass on an opportunity to do so. This attitude set expectations into a more balanced state than usual and in the event what I heard and saw was a beautifully sung and well considered performance (very much along the lines you describe here) which in light of such expectations might have been the most satisfying Traviata I’ve seen.
Technically speaking, you’re right, Cavalier. Harteros is probably the best sung Violetta I have seen in the theatre (I’m too young to have witnessed Callas, Sutherland, Scotto et al). Gheorghiu would be up there too: what she lacked in vocal exuberance (although the voice was always very appealing), she compensated in how convincing she seemed in this role. Back from very long ago, I also recall a beautiful performance from the young Cristina Gallardo-Domas that seemed then (1993?) really satisfying. Other than this, some good singers struggling with the role’s demands and also some bad singers!
Markus Brück is the guy to keep an eye on. Each time I saw him in Berlin he was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately I missed him in Les Troyens (he was apparently mesmerizing but was indisposed the day I saw the show at DOB)
I’m not sure I agree on Harteros [perhaps I just like her singing too much
] I like her “detachement”. She’s no trying to bring the “Italian” out of her she doesn’t have, but she manages to tame the role and make it fit her own personality (within limits, of course). Well, that also largely depends on the production she’s in.
That’s why I loved Christine Schäfer and Mireille Delunsch singing the same role too. They both are far from being perfect, but they act beautifully without parasitic gestures or “scenic vulgarity” that we usually get from Violetta’s, and they both sang in extraordinary productions. Anja Harteros is not maybe there to these two scenically but she’s close, and is vocally superior… I saw her in La Traviata in Munich.
Cheers
First of all, Opera Cake, your blog is great! And very helpful too to check the interesting stuff going on around.
I am glad you like Markus Brück too. As for Harteros, I certainly agree with you: nobody, including singers, should fake anything and always stick to what seems true to him or herself. If Harteros, Schäfer or Delunsch tried to sound like… Callas, it would have been awful. I agree with you too that Harteros’s singing is excellent, no doubt about that. My point was that I thought that what she was doing could be more spontaneous and less “thought through”. It would be a cliché to say that she was too German in it – but I have the impression that, here, she did not try to “read” through the role of Violetta to find the point where she and this woman could find the same “vibration”, but rather that she built that performance from outside to inside. As in “ok, here I should look provocative, than I will do that with my hips and that with my hand”. I am not saying that this was poorly done – it was well crafted and it looked crafty. As a result, my personal reaction was rather analyzing it and finding it well crafted than being touched by it. I didn’t felt that with Schäfer or Delunsch, for example, but the truth is that their singing was far less impressive than Harteros…. Well, if one is able to see all of them and get the good points out of these performances, one cannot really complain!
Patrizia Ciofi, January 8… She was better than Harteros.
DO OPERAS IN BERLIN HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES?
Only the Komische Oper does. This opera house shows the whole repertoire in German language.