New York Classical Review

May at the Metropolitan Opera brought a fresh cast to Verdi’s La Traviata. The long runs of repertory staples with rotating casts are a real boon for voice aficionados. First, it’s Lisette Oropesa as Violetta and the Polish tenor Piotr Buszewski as Alfredo, and a few weeks later, Rosa Feola and the rising Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan have taken their places. Based on their second outing in La Traviata on Friday evening, it is a winning combination vocally and dramatically.

Michael Mayer’s familiar staging places the action in an opulent room adorned with bronze filigree. The opera begins with the same tableau with which it ends, as if Violetta is reliving her love affair with Alfredo in her dying moments. Violetta’s bed is center stage for the entire opera, with a desk, piano, and small table, likewise always present. The costumes for the partygoers who fill the stage are a riot of garish colors. Despite the gaudiness, overall, it’s a traditional staging.

Mayer overshot the mark by having Germont’s daughter on stage throughout the opera. In the libretto, she is spoken of, but never seen. Her physical presence is intrusive to those familiar with the opera, but a non-event for those seeing La Traviata for the first time. That cohort is increasingly present at the Met. 

Feola, who is performing her first Met Violettas with this run, triumphed in the role. The warmth and richness of her voice fueled the courtesan’s zest for life, love for Alfredo, and innate compassion for his sister’s plight. The soprano adorned “Sempre libera” with exciting roulades and trills that vividly captured Violetta’s joie de vivre and her reckless defiance when facing impending death.

With Violetta’s life force spent, the final scene found Feola’s courtesan pale and haggard, a mere ghost of the glamorous woman in a gold gown whom Alfredo had humiliated in the previous act. The scene reached its emotional apex when Feola gave voice to Violetta’s final lament that she was to die so young, revealing colors in her voice that she reserved for this final cry of desperation.

For his Met debut, Avetisyan exploited his handsome looks, youthful vigor, and shining lyric tenor for all their worth to craft a fascinating Alfredo. This awkward, pugnacious, inexperienced youth was dumbstruck at his first sight of Violetta. The bellicosity was a constant, but love transformed Avetisyan’s Alfredo into a cauldron of emotions that he could not master. 

The tenor had no such problems. Avetisyan’s musicianship was exemplary, especially the range of dynamics with which he caressed every phrase. It was equal to his appearance and acting in every way, and commanded even greater attention. Avetisyan is an excellent Alfredo, and arguably the best of the recent lot. 

Amartuvshin Enkhbat made his Met debut as Germont in 2022. His characterization has grown impressively in depth and complexity since then. Enkhbat is not the most physically demonstrative of singers, but his plush velvet baritone does the heavy lifting. Feola began their Act II duet in almost a whisper, but her voice evolved to match Enkhbat’s in expansiveness, creating the most touching moments of the performance. 

The rest of the cast was comprised of Met regulars who enlivened every scene. Eve Gigliotti’s Annina was less fussy than is often the case in the comprimario roles she performs so adroitly, but all the more effective for the restraint. Lindsay Martin’s Flora and Christopher Job’s Marquis D’Obigny were enthusiastic lovers and partygoers with voices to match. As Baron Douphol, Brian Major was granite-voiced and severe. Richard Bernstein was a compassionate Dr. Grenvil, while doing nothing more than relaying a message in a matter of seconds, baritone Ben Rissinger makes an impression.

Risque describes both the ballet dancers’ costumes and their movements, but the combination delivers a visceral punch. Solo dancer Cara Seymour was thrown like a football from one to another. Equally sensational was James Whiteside sweeping onto the stage with his long arms and legs twirling like a windmill. You have to credit Mayer for bringing an incredibly high level of athleticism and eroticism to the scene. Whether or not it is necessary is another question.

Marco Armiliato was at his most sensitive in the pit. The level of intimacy that Feola and Avetisyan achieved, especially in the opening scene, was not only due to their charisma and chemistry but also Armiliato’s delicacy with dynamics and phrasing. With Armiliato’s familiar presence on the podium, the Met chorus and orchestra performed at their customary best. 

All the stars aligned to make this an evening at the Met to cherish and remember. If you are a La Traviata aficionado or someone new to opera, don’t let this cast slip through your fingers.

La Traviata runs through June 6 with Rosa Feola and Ermonela Jaho sharing the role of Violetta, Liparit Avetisyan and Kang Wang as Alfredo, and Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Lucas Meacham as Germont. metopera.org