25 November 2011 (Theatre Review)

Review by: Caroline Foran

And so, it was off to Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre that I sauntered like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman for an eye-opening introduction into the sophisticated world of opera, last Wednesday. It's true, like Vivian, I too was an opera virgin but how fine a way to pop one's opera cherry than with Guiseppe Verdi's greatest masterpiece: La Traviata.

First and foremost, this opera is a beautiful production. Everything from the traditional staging, the orchestra, the colours, the style and the lighting, not forgetting the powerful voices, combine for a visceral delight to please the senses.

Divided into three parts and sung in Italian with English subtitles to the left, right and centre of the stage, the only trouble you may have with La Traviata is following what exactly is going on between our Prima donna, Violetta and our Primo uomo, Alfredo (unless of course you're already familiar or you've done a sneaky Wikipedia search beforehand). But, truth be told, it's not always necessary to follow every little thread of narrative to fully appreciate this production. It's the spectacle that you're here for, nothing more. Once settled in, it's really a case of letting the music speak for itself. Crescendos at times of heartache or anger, trilling harmonies at times of dizzying panic, the music here says more about their love than any dialogical script could provide.

The story of Violetta and Alfredo is actually quite simple: Boy meets girl and falls head over heels in love. Much like Romeo and Juliet, or the more current Twilight series, it's a case of love at first sight; the pair destined to be together, if not altogether suitably matched. And then, like the many Hollywood re-incarnations of this love story, external forces interfere and the couple are driven apart. In this case it's Violetta's health and Alfredo's father that throw the equilibrium. While we hope their love will surpass such issues, alas it is not meant to be. Written back in the 1800's, the story is linear, there isn't a whole lot of in depth character analysis going on but the romantic tragedy of Violetta and Alfredo is a story that will be familiar to everyone.

Leaving modern notions of romance at the door, I enjoyed La Traviata. In a world where affairs of the heart are often concealed behind the screen of Facebook chat, where relationships begin and end online, with people fearful of exposing their feelings and falling victim to the game of 'playing it cool', it's most refreshing to step back in time and see an often over complicated story stripped back to the basic potency of 'I-stand-before-you, heart-on-my-sleeve, would-die-without-you' love.

It may not be for you but if you've never been to an opera, it's a cultural experience worth beholding, even just once. You certainly don't have to be an opera enthusiast and you may not come away hooked for life. You might, however, be thankful you opened your mind to an alternative expression of an age old story, a story that accompanied so perfectly by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, just might resonate in the depths of your heart.
 

 

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