Extraordinary talents in beautiful opera

WONDERFULLY rich and spectacular, this Ellen Kent production of the famous Verdi masterpiece was a rewarding introduction to opera for me.

Having never taken the plunge into the art form, I was unsure of what to expect - but it was a true privilege to witness such extraordinary talents by the singers and orchestra members. These performers, of the Ukrainian National Opera of Kharkiv, put their whole bodies and emotions into it, which is very admirable to see live before your eyes.

La Traviata is of course a tale of tragic love between the courtesan Violetta Valéry (played by soprano Maria Tsonina) and Alfredo Germont (Andriy Perfoliv), who are forced to separate and are later reunited - but all does not end happily, as we might expect.

A small overhead electronic board displaying English translations to the beautifully-lyrical Italian singing is undoubtedly essential for those in the audience, like myself, who do not understand Italian, to follow the plot.

But on the whole, I found it more of a hindrance than a help as having to keep glancing upwards at the screen was very distracting, when there was such an impressive spectacle taking place on stage. Being able to watch the passion in the singers’ faces and take in their ornate costumes and surroundings is an important part of enjoying the show. Perhaps more important than understanding the plot - although a quick read of the synopsis before going to the theatre could be a good compromise.

One disappointing part of the evening was a set change during Act II, which was far too long and awkward. The audience was left to murmur amongst themselves and cough embarrasingly while shadowy figures on stage spent what seemed like a very long time shuffling about, while the orchestra sat silent before them. A musical interlude would have been ideal, here and I am baffled as to why this did not take place.

But otherwise, an impeccably professional production that was a pleasure to watch. Catch it on tour if you can.

Sundari Sankar