La Traviata at the Artscape Opera House

THEATRE NEWS
Aug 25th 2011, 12:51

Q. In the movie Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts character Vivian attends La Traviata. It was the first time she had seen opera and she appreciated the beauty and depth of the music without needing to understand the words. What is it that makes the music so emotive? A.La Traviata is a great introduction to opera. In fact, a large part of the narrative is very similar to Pretty Woman. Verdi skilfully fused the orchestration, vocal melodic lines and recurring thematic material brilliantly with the text, enabling the universal interpersonal relationships, fleshed out so well in the novel and play, to take on an extra dimension in the opera. We are drawn to Violetta who, like Vivian, has a noble heart and sacrifices being with the man she loves for the greater good. Q. This is your first time playing this role. What is it like to meet an opera character for the first time? A. It is thrilling to try and figure out what makes them tick, musically and dramatically. I love to observe who the character is, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and learn about how their spontaneous reactions to certain circumstances influenced them as a person. Violetta is a real woman with real emotions. Her circumstances are beyond her control yet she makes the best of her situation despite lifes challenges. My goal is to approach the character of Violetta as I do all my other roles, from a place of honesty and sincerity. Q. How have you rehearsed for this role? A. First, I read the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Then I reviewed the text and the translation, word by word, followed by the music notation, including the pitches and rhythms. Throughout the process, I watched and listened to various DVDs and CDs, discussed the character with long-time mentors such as Max Loppert, former chief classical music critic for the London Financial Times, and former assistant editor of Opera Magazine, and sang through the role with trusted coaches and teachers. The role needs to be memorised before the staging and musical rehearsals at the opera company begin. Q. What are the technical challenges of the role? A. Musically and dramatically, its a very demanding and strenuous role, but it is also extremely fulfilling to sing. At times this role seems scored for different types of sopranos: a coloratura soprano in Act One, a lyric soprano with some heft to the sound in Act Two for the sustained lines over a fuller orchestration, and a soprano with the ability to float and spin high notes in Act Three. It is great fun to perform, as it uses ones entire instrument. Q. Do you recall any favourite performances? A. The first time I saw La Traviata live was at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, with June Anderson as Violetta. Her performance was phenomenal. Q. Last year, you received a tremendous response to your performance in Lucia de Lammermoor. Are you looking forward to performing for Cape Town audiences again? A. I love the audiences here and Im thrilled to be coming back!