New York Classical Review

La Traviata is one of the Metropolitan Opera’s big four, alongside La Bohème, Aida, and Carmen, with around 1,000 performances to date. It’s been three years since Michael Mayer’s production was last seen at the Met. When it returned on Friday evening, that controversial opening seemed long ago.

The brilliant jewel-toned costumes are still as eye-popping as are those for the dancers at Flora Bervoix’s ball. More pronounced, however, is the bronze patina that imparts an autumnal sense of nostalgia. It emanates not only from the rinceaux, the stylized foliage, scrollwork, and vine patterns that adorn the turquoise walls of the unit set, but also from the lighting. Only when Violetta is dying is the warmth extinguished by the chill of lightly falling snow. 

In the opera, Giorgio Germont’s daughter is never seen, but she appears throughout Mayer’s staging, beginning with the tableau of the final scene seen during the Preludio. She likewise accompanies her father to Violetta’s country house. During the Act III Preludio, she slowly walks across the stage in a bridal gown with an enormous veil trailing behind her. This is a serious misstep, as the unseen evocation of the girl through Germont’s characterization of her, as Verdi intended, resonates more deeply than her literal presence.

Lisette Oropesa’s only previous appearances at the Met as Violetta were in 2020. She returns to the role as a fresh bel canto veteran after her recent sensational run as Elvira in Bellini’s I Puritani.

Physically and psychologically, Oropesa’s brittle, frivolous courtesan evolves into a woman of enormous compassion, secure in her profound love for Alfredo. The specter of death is a constant presence as Violetta gradually grew wanner and weaker. Vocally, she traversed that same emotional trajectory with equal depths of feeling and artistry. 

The richness of Oropesa’s sound and legato made for a poignant “Ah, fors’è lui,” unfortunately severed by applause from “Sempre libera.” She captured Violetta’s firm defiance of fate and convention in the emotionally charged runs and effortless high notes, but her deployment of color and dynamics was equally important. The voice gained in substance and gravitas as Violetta’s grasp on love and life loosened, culminating in a heart-wrenching “Addio, del passato,” and one final grasp for life and love in her duet with Alfredo.

Piotr Buszewski made an impressive house debut as Alfredo. Mayer seems to envision Alfredo as aloof, brooding, and self-absorbed, due to the consistency with which tenors have donned that mantle in this production. Buszewski’s Alfredo was no different, although his good looks and long hair pointed him in the direction of a romantic hero, and his singing was cut from the same cloth.

Buszewski began “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” with a ringing tone and the proper swagger. His declaration of love in “Un dì felice” was lyrical and passionate, while his “De’ miei bollenti spiriti” was boosted by high spirits. Fueled by bitterness and rage, Buszewski’s Alfredo blazed when humiliating Violetta and soon got his comeuppance. 

Luca Salsi reprised his role as Giorgio Germont, creating a portrayal that has grown richer and more complex over time. When he first appears to Violetta, Salsi’s Germont is stern but courteous. Outraged by his son’s behavior at the ball, it’s as if the Commendatore from Don Giovanni rose from the grave to upbraid Alfredo. However, Salsi responded in kind to the beauty and sincerity with which Oropesa began the opening measures of “Dite alla giovine, sì bella e pura.” His “Di Provenza il mar” was exceptionally moving thanks to the dynamic shading he used.

Edyta Kulczak’s Flora was ripe, vivacious, and appreciative of eye-catching younger men. Met stalwart Duane Croft’s Baron Douphol coveted Violetta, but only on his uncompromising, harsh terms. As Dr. Grenvil, Richard Bernstein was dignified as was his bass voice, which continues to command attention. 

At the beginning of their careers, performances by two members of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Tessa McQueen’s compassionate Annina and Ben Reisinger as Alfredo’s friend Gastone, pointed towards the future.

Antonello Manacorda, whose only prior appearance at the Met was in 2019, conducting Le Nozze di Figaro, was a commanding presence. His stare stilled the chatter that swelled during the pauses occasioned by set changes and didn’t cease when he raised his baton. The hallmarks of his performance were the energy and precise articulation he drew from the chorus and orchestra. His attention to dynamics enlivened the vibrant, supple carpet of orchestral sound, an important factor in making this performance so moving.

La Traviata runs through April 10. Amanda Woodbury sings Violetta on April 3, alongside Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Alfredo and Anthony Clark Evans as Germont. 

Traviata returns May 3-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