The Opera Tattler

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SF Opera’s La Traviata (Cabell, Pirgu, Stoyanov)

Sf-opera-traviata-cabelle-2014* Notes * 
San Francisco Opera‘s 1987 production of La Traviata (Saimir Pirgu as Alfredo and Nicole Cabell as Violetta in Act I pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) was revived again last night. Originally conceived by John Copley, Laurie Feldman is the director this time. The set, designed by John Conklin, is splendid, as are David Walker’s costumes. Somehow the staging does not cohere, and the high point certainly is the focused flamenco dancing in Act II Scene 2.

The orchestra sounded sumptuous, though the tempi that Maestro Nicola Luisotti kept were consistently ahead of the singers. The chorus was slightly tepid in the Brindisi. The principal cast features very pretty voices with a lot of volume, yet the effect was curiously flat. Vladimir Stoyanov has a rather strident manner as Germont. Saimir Pirgu has a pleasant, bright warmth as Alfredo, but his singing has an effortful quality. Nicole Cabell (Violetta) sounded gorgeously icy, her voice is beautiful and strong, but somehow she fell short of embodying her character.

* Tattling * 
There were many latecomers in the balcony. Some mobile telephones and watch alarms were noted. The sound system made a strange squeak in the second third of the opera.

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3 responses to “SF Opera’s La Traviata (Cabell, Pirgu, Stoyanov)”

  1. Reginald Strainworth Avatar
    Reginald Strainworth

    I too was bothered by watch alarms going off every hour on the hour.
    Why can’t SF Opera management specifically mention to turn off watch alarms in its supertitle notice?
    I think a lot of these watch wearers can’t even hear their alarms going off as they can’t hear high pitch sounds.

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  2. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I believe you are correct, the high pitches are lost on the watch wearers. It is too bad the default for such alarms is not off rather than on.

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  3. Roberto Avatar
    Roberto

    Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. This La Traviata was a non-event.
    I was totally immune to Nicole Cabell. Her voice was monochromatic, too light and senza acuto. Her acting was excessive and annoying. Not for one second I could recognize Violetta’s inner conflicts on her. She is almost getting to my list of sopranos to avoid. I could not stop to think about Netrebko, when she was here the last time we had this opera.
    Vladimir Stoyanov is very, very light for papa Germont.
    Stephen Constello was serviceable.
    Even Luisotti disappointed me, trying to bring big sound on an opera that is not about big orchestra sound effects. I thought that I would have a Muti Traviata in Luisotti, but it was not to be.

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