BWW Reviews: Thrilling Violetta from Sonya Yoncheva Finds the Truth in Met LA TRAVIATA

For the second time in two seasons, casting has made me reconsider a Met production that I'd written off as past its expiration date. The first was Diana Damrau and Javier Camarena in Bellini's LA SONNAMBULA. This time around it's the wonderful Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who breathed new life into the Willy Decker LA TRAVIATA. She's a marvel, both as an actress and a singer.

I'd liked the production when it was introduced on New Year's Eve 2010, with Marina Poplavskaya as Violetta. But subsequent performances left me rolling my eyes and wondering how long we'd have to live through this production, which was a festival offering from Salzburg, Austria, where they have the luxury of moving on from a staging that palls. The Met doesn't have that option--certainly not in these financially strapped days. But while I still don't think this is one for the ages, this week's performance (under Assistant Stage Directors Gina Lapinski and Jonathna Loy) convinced me that, with the right cast, it's worth seeing again. And this definitely had the cast.

Poignant, coquettish, forgiving and sensual

Although I was taken by her portrayal of Mimi in LA BOHEME earlier in the season, Yoncheva's Violetta was a whole different matter. At turns poignant, coquettish, forgiving and sensual, this Violetta not only had her lover Alfredo in the palm of her hand, but the audience as well. It took a while for her voice to bloom--not fully until after "Libiamo"--but after that, it kept growing and growing, though modulated perfectly to fit the many moods of a character that puts "The Three Faces of Eve" to shame. The opera's final scene is one of the challenges of this production: Usually staged with Violetta on her deathbed, here, she wanders around and has to give the same effect. Yoncheva did it masterfully and her "Addio al passato" was gorgeously sung.

TRAVIATA isn't a one-singer show, of course. Tenor Francesco Demuro, who also co-starred with Yoncheva in performances of BOHEME, also found TRAVIATA a better showcase for his singing skills. He's an intelligent singer with a beautiful sound, though I find him a bit fine-boned for the Met. (He also seemed unsure of himself, noticeably watching conductor Marco Armiliato several times during the evening.) Still, he has an ingratiating personality and is a vast improvement over some of the other tenors the Met has offered.

An unusual portrayal

As Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont, baritone Quinn Kelsey was a powerhouse, with a voice that was huge but never unwieldy. His performance, in particular, of "Di Pronvenza" was beautifully expressive. But this was also an unusual portrayal: I've seen many TRAVIATAs, but never before with a Giorgio as terrifying as this. You understood very clearly why Violetta could not say no to his request that she leave Alfredo. And when he slapped his son's face in Act II, the audience justifiably gasped. Yet, he was also able to put across his guilt for having taken Violetta's chance for happiness.

Conductor Armiliato led a finely nuanced performance from the Met orchestra and the chorus--who role is particularly key in this staging--was in wonderful form.

LA TRAVIATA translates as "the lost one," but on this occasion at least, it was good to see a production find itself.

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Photo: Sonya Yoncheva as Violetta.

Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.

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