The Met: Live in HD revives Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’

Above: Nadine Sierra stars in The Met: Live in HD's performance of Verdi's "La Traviata." (Photo/The Metropolitan Opera)

Some critics write reviews that sound more like fanboy love letters. That certainly could describe how opera critic Gabrielle Ferrari – in this case, fangirl – describes the performance of soprano Nadine Sierra in The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

“(I)her role debut,” Ferrari wrote, “(Sierra) captured sides of Violetta and more. Vocally, this was a nearly unassailable performance, but Sierra brought out something that felt true and thoroughly human in Violetta; we hear her sob and laugh and gasp for breath.”

Violetta is the focus of Verdi’s opera, which in this production was staged by Michael Mayer. Ill with tuberculosis, Violetta falls for the youthful Alfredo but is persuaded by Alfredo’s father to cut his son off to avoid scandal. Naturally, tragedy follows.

And now you can see it all for yourself as The Met: Live in HD will broadcast “La Traviata” Saturday (at 9:55 a.m.) and Wednesday (at 1 and 6:30 p.m.) at the Regal Cinemas theaters at NorthTown Mall and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone Stadium.

Joining Sierra are tenor Stephen Costello as Alfredo, baritone Luca Salsi as his father. Daniele Callegari serves as conductor. The opera is, of course, in Italian, but it comes with subtitles in English.

Continuing her adoring review of this production’s Violetta, Ferrari wrote, “By the third act, it was clear how tremendous Sierra was in this role; her vocal and dramatic stamina are truly admirable – many a Violetta runs out of steam by the end.”

And she added, “Any minor vocal glitches (of which there were very few in the whole night), were washed away in welcome tears for this reviewer during Sierra’s affecting and sensitive ‘Addio, del passato.’ ”

Too which, I add a hearty, “Addio a tutti i tuoi.”