“La Traviata” reviewed by Jacob Davis

[rating=5] Luxury, sundered lovers, and a vacuous society that devours itself; what’s not to love about La traviata? Originally performed in 1853, this opera by Giuseppe Verdi happened to debut the same year as Il trovatore, the other Verdi opera the Lyric performed this season. But although a few stretches of music are similar, in subject and in original production director Arin Arbus’s presentation, La traviata is as intimate and contemplative as its twin is bombastic. Adopted from a semi-autobiographical novel and play by Alexandre Dumas fils, it contains a more authentic pathos than was typical on nineteenth century stages where subjects like courtesans and tuberculosis were seldom addressed directly, and as demonstrated by the Lyric’s current revival, it can still capture the hearts of modern audiences.

Violetta Valéry (Albina Shagimuratova) throws lavish Parisian parties which she finances by means that nobody asks too many questions about. Though celebrated by all, she is close only to her maid, Annina (Lauren Decker), and secretly still suffering from a dire illness she let people think she had recovered from. One young man, Alfredo Germont (Giorgio Berrugi) is in love with her, and because he cared for her when she was bedridden, she accepts his advances. But his father, Giorgio (Željko Lučić) has a family name to defend, and knowing his son will not leave Violetta voluntarily, he pressures her to leave him in a way that will not encourage him to want her back. Alfredo does not take the blow gracefully, but for Violetta, the end is near regardless.

Shagimuratova has appeared frequently at the Lyric in recent years in bel canto roles. Playing Violetta allows her to act more naturalistically, with less ostentatious ornament after the first act but ever-marvelous technique. Her Act III aria, Addio, del passato bei sogni, is a transfixing expression of loneliness and regret, but her voice was shaded with an unmistakable undercurrent of dread throughout the waltzing gaiety of the first act. Berrugi, like Shagimuratova, plays a character who is self-consciously performing his role as a high-society partier, but Alfredo buys into it more than Violetta does. Berrugi rolls his r’s and commands a strong vibrato to emphasize Alfredo’s fatuous sensibility, which, it should be noted, is still quite lovely to hear. Violetta was clearly prepared to write him off at first, but in a brilliant bit of acting by Shagimuratova, came around when she realized no other reveler had even paid enough attention to notice her vulnerability.

As the father, Giorgio, Lučić is a dark and menacing figure. He enters the pivotal second act duet clearly looking for a fight but switches tactics when he can’t pain Violetta as the villain, and it seems questionable how much of his story is true. Lučić, last seen at the Lyric as Nabucco, is a rumbling, serpentine baritone, and director Arbus’s character work comes into its full dramatic potential here. Afterward, the production becomes borderline surreal, as we are treated to a costume party designed by Cait O’Connor featuring crucified minotaurs as part of a hellish carnival and a themed dance troupe that’s one for the yearbooks. Conductor Michael Christie makes his Lyric debut and at every point in the run, Verdi’s music has a beating heart. Giorgio’s ariosos slither up from the pit as much as from the man to ensnare the heroine. It has been said that La traviata’s focus on a single character entirely indoors makes it chamber music on an operatic stage, but in this production, Violetta’s interior condition is projected onto her environment. This is a case where hearing the music is no substitute for being there.

La traviata will continue at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago, thru March 22, with the following showtimes:

February 20:       2:00 pm

February 24:       2:00 pm

March 1:              7:00 pm

March 4:              7:00 pm

March 7:              2:00 pm

March 10:            2:00 pm

March 13:            7:00 pm

March 16:            7:30 pm

March 22:            7:00 pm

Running time is two hours and fifty minutes with two intermissions.

The Lyric offers parking deals with Poetry Garage at 201 W Madison St. if inquired about in advance. Tickets start at $39; to order, visit LyricOpera.org or call 321-827-5600.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “La traviata.”