Violetta Valéry in La Traviata is a strong, compelling role that has inspired successful films such as Pretty Woman and Moulin Rouge. She is a woman who desperately tries to be free from her life as a courtesan and the binds of society. Freedom is finally found in the form of love but it is tragically taken away from her.
Violetta was at the top of my list of roles to play but is also, quite frankly, a bit frightening. Even the greats have said how notoriously difficult the role is. Renee Fleming said “Sometimes I wonder if Verdi actually just didn’t like the soprano he was writing it for” and before going on stage for the act one cabaletta, Sempre Libera, she thinks to herself “Well let’s see if we get through it tonight.”
So why is Violetta a challenge, even to singers at the top of their game? Well, she is on stage for most of the opera, so stamina and good vocal technique is a must. You have to be physically and vocally fit to play her, a good night’s sleep before is also important. As an actress you have to live and breathe every second of this complex woman’s journey and constantly keep that dark cloud in the form of her illness hanging over her throughout. Plus, in a smaller space like the Tricycle Theatre, the audience need to see every thought and emotion clearly. Playing illness and fragility to the point of death convincingly is no mean feat. There can be no room for “park and bark” where opera singers just stand and sing, fabricating their emotions. If the audience are to be taken on Violetta’s journey right through to the end, the actress playing her needs to be completely invested in the character.
