La Traviata - Deutsche Oper Berlin

© deutsche oper berlin

In a remake of the original setting of Götz Friedrich, Patrizia Ciofi and Teodor Ilincai are the loving couple Valery and Alfredo. Those two represent a young generation of opera singers on the edge to an international career. Patrizia Ciofi has already been successfully on the Berlin stage in the recent performance of Tancredi by Rossini  whereas Teodor Ilincai has jumped in to replace Vittorio Grigolo as Alfredo.

Ciofi's Valery is very fragile, an emotional virgin. No femme fatale and lively but characterized by her illness from the beginning. Her voice is fine getting glittering  in the heights. Ilincai´s voice is well educated, he has power and a beautiful height but lacks a bit a full and warm Italian timbre. George Petean as father Germont is caring desperately bound by social laws. His full, emotional and mild bariton opens Valery´s and the audience´s heart.

Goetz Friedrichs direction is still a reluctant interpretation with a clever stage design and a fine elaboration of the characters.

- Helmut Pitsch