Southern California native Christopher Job, graduate of Mater Dei High School and Cal State Fullerton, makes his L.A. Opera debut.
After a decade of work at the Metropolitan Opera, and making two appearances last season with the L.A. Phil, Mr. Job returns home to make his Los Angeles opera stage debut.
La Traviata
Reviews
Zaharia excelled as both singer and actor. She aced the high notes in the Act I aria "Sempre Libera" and elsewhere and rose to the physical challenges of portraying a young woman who (spoiler) falls in love and succumbs to TB over the course of three acts. While many operas deal with the fantastical, sometimes covering absurd plots with glorious music, Traviata depends on your belief in the reality of the love between Violeta and Alfredo. Zaharia and tenor Rame Lahaj shared a natural chemistry that quelled any doubt the night we attended.
To be fair, La Traviata does much more than merely perpetrate and perpetuate the trope of uninhibited women suffering for their orgasms and the ones they cause others to enjoy. The story criticizes Germont for his rigidity and narrow-minded, outmoded mores. Far from being a mere frippery and trollop, Violetta reveals herself to be an individual of integrity, capable of great self sacrifice and true love. Hopefully, creators in various art forms will come to embrace and celebrate instead of condemn female sexuality in future works. But this step forward away from the guilty obsessions with “sin” and repression will occur when more women create their own operas, novels, plays, films, etc.
“La Traviata” is among the most frequently performed operas, but LA Opera’s production is still a must-see.
Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, the Operalia winner from 2017 who made her LAO debut last year as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, was a well schooled Violetta who was able to encompass various aspects of this complex role. She sang the difficult coloratura of "Sempre Libera" (Always Free") to perfection and retained jewel-like color in her voice for the emotionally rich later scenes. Her death scene was particularly powerful as she collapsed in Alfredo's arms.
In charge of a splendidly virtuosic orchestra whose woodwinds excelled, brass exulted and strings sounded silky smooth if a bit thin, Conlon paced the opera so wisely that the great arias and sparkling moments were jewels in a crown that kept the story moving inexorably. It was one of those performances where you want Violetta to die. At the end everything was right.
Although composed in the 19th Century by Giuseppe Verdi, the three-act opera has been transported to the roaring 20’s with impressive results, proving that a good yarn is not only timeless, but fit for multiple mediums.
Under the direction of LA Opera’s Music Director James Conlon, “Traviata’s” cast and orchestra served the brisk telling of this drama, while creating satisfying musical shape and highlights.
Domingo’s production is mostly decorative, and Verdi’s “Traviata” can be seen through it, as it were. It was certainly heard through it Saturday, and most effectively. In the title role, Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, introduced here last year as Gilda in “Rigoletto,” made a strong and pleasing impression. The voice was equal parts shimmer and opulence, and she gamboled about its compass with ease. (The coloratura end to Act 1 was especially spectacular.) Her pianissimo phrases seemed to float in the air. At fortissimo and in the high range, she retained her beautiful tone, no fuss. Zaharia’s stage presence was elegant and assured too.
A sad ending, but is another outstanding production by Los Angeles Opera.
Zaharia excelled as both singer and actor. She aced the high notes in the Act I aria "Sempre Libera" and elsewhere and rose to the physical challenges of portraying a young woman who (spoiler) falls in love and succumbs to TB over the course of three acts. While many operas deal with the fantastical, sometimes covering absurd plots with glorious music, Traviata depends on your belief in the reality of the love between Violeta and Alfredo. Zaharia and tenor Rame Lahaj shared a natural chemistry that quelled any doubt the night we attended.
To be fair, La Traviata does much more than merely perpetrate and perpetuate the trope of uninhibited women suffering for their orgasms and the ones they cause others to enjoy. The story criticizes Germont for his rigidity and narrow-minded, outmoded mores. Far from being a mere frippery and trollop, Violetta reveals herself to be an individual of integrity, capable of great self sacrifice and true love. Hopefully, creators in various art forms will come to embrace and celebrate instead of condemn female sexuality in future works. But this step forward away from the guilty obsessions with “sin” and repression will occur when more women create their own operas, novels, plays, films, etc.
“La Traviata” is among the most frequently performed operas, but LA Opera’s production is still a must-see.
Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, the Operalia winner from 2017 who made her LAO debut last year as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, was a well schooled Violetta who was able to encompass various aspects of this complex role. She sang the difficult coloratura of "Sempre Libera" (Always Free") to perfection and retained jewel-like color in her voice for the emotionally rich later scenes. Her death scene was particularly powerful as she collapsed in Alfredo's arms.
In charge of a splendidly virtuosic orchestra whose woodwinds excelled, brass exulted and strings sounded silky smooth if a bit thin, Conlon paced the opera so wisely that the great arias and sparkling moments were jewels in a crown that kept the story moving inexorably. It was one of those performances where you want Violetta to die. At the end everything was right.
Although composed in the 19th Century by Giuseppe Verdi, the three-act opera has been transported to the roaring 20’s with impressive results, proving that a good yarn is not only timeless, but fit for multiple mediums.
Under the direction of LA Opera’s Music Director James Conlon, “Traviata’s” cast and orchestra served the brisk telling of this drama, while creating satisfying musical shape and highlights.
Domingo’s production is mostly decorative, and Verdi’s “Traviata” can be seen through it, as it were. It was certainly heard through it Saturday, and most effectively. In the title role, Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, introduced here last year as Gilda in “Rigoletto,” made a strong and pleasing impression. The voice was equal parts shimmer and opulence, and she gamboled about its compass with ease. (The coloratura end to Act 1 was especially spectacular.) Her pianissimo phrases seemed to float in the air. At fortissimo and in the high range, she retained her beautiful tone, no fuss. Zaharia’s stage presence was elegant and assured too.
A sad ending, but is another outstanding production by Los Angeles Opera.