La Traviata Consumes … Literally!
After a 13-year hiatus, La Traviata - with music by Giuseppe Verdi – has finally returned to the Seattle Opera.
On Friday, October 23rd, both your Hedonista and Ronald Holden of Cornichon attended as media guests (and sat only a couple of rows and seats apart). Read dear Ronaldo’s lovely review of La Traviata on Cornichon. It’s true that just prior to the beginning of the opera Speight Jenkins announced from the stage that silver cast soprano Eglise Gutiérrez had a cold while performing that night. Although you could hear traces of her muted rhume early on in the first act, it appears that she was merely warming up; for, throughout the rest of the opera, she truly was fabulous (as was the entire cast). Perhaps, rather than hinder the performance, her cold gave her inspiration to really play the part of Violetta Valéry, who is terminally ill with consumption (an anachronistic name for what today we call pulmonary tuberculosis, or TB).
In La Traviata – Violetta is a woman in pursuit of a Parisian life of pure pleasure (take heed, my fellow hedonists, as this opera is right up your respective alleys). A courtesan – of higher stature than a prostitute without the job security of a mistress – who gave it all up for the love of Alfredo Germont (tenor Francesco Demuro) – only to be asked to give it all up once again by the father of her beloved, Giorgio Germont (baritone Weston Hurt) so that his daughter – Alfredo’s sister – could not have her family name tarnished by her brother’s tryst with a courtesan and thus marry well. Violetta does just this, in the name of pure, innocent, young love.
Eglise Gutiérrez (Violetta) and Francesco Demuro (Alfredo) wondering why they didn't just stay together. © Rozarii Lynch photo. Used with permission.
Now, the entire three acts of this Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave take place in a time span of only eight months. Alfredo and Violetta lived together for three of those months. Given that her condition was terminal, she and Alfredo should have just thumbed their noses at what was then considered propriety (as they’d already done for the past 3 months) and enjoy the precious few months left to them.
But that’s just the hedonist in me talking.
Make no mistake, dear readers – the opera is a pure hedonistic pleasure – and of more than merely the sense of sound. Between 21- and 39-years-old? Seriously consider signing up for the Seattle Opera’s roughly 600-strong BRAVO! Club. The $65 membership fee gives back with discounted season tickets (up to 50% off), complimentary wine and coffee in the BRAVO! lounge during intermission on BRAVO! opera nights, and party and educational event invites – over 30 events in all – throughout the season.
La Traviata runs from October 17th to the 31st. Hurry up and get your tickets (and, if age-appropriate, do join the BRAVO! Club).
Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.
My sense is that the older Germont completely fabricates the story about the sister who won’t be able to get married unless Alfredo and Violetta split up. We never learn her name, and we never hear of her again after Germont confronts Violetta early in Act II. Alfredo never speaks of her, either. No, Germont is just being a dick because he disapproves of Violetta’s earlier lifestyle. And he’s a dick towards his son as well, after Alfredo publicly humiliates Violetta. William Hurt sang the role without a hint of nastiness; he opted for a far-too-benign interpretation.