Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg as Violetta looked splendid in a crimson ball gown set against the monochrome Parisian party scene.
“As the great Ukrainian baritone Yuri Yurchuk, who played Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father, told me, this production majors in psychological truthfulness: "Cameron wanted us to know why we were doing or saying things". This was clear in De provenza, Georgio's diktat to his son about the unwisdom of his romantic course.
A night of frights and delights with more than one twist at the end. Do not expect a Disney ‘Happily ever after’ conclusion.
“the sparky relationship between Yuriy Yurchuk’s swaggering Marcello and Emma Morwood’s pert Musetta feels authentic and true to the magic of Puccini’s melting score.”
“… Yuriy Yurchuk makes a characterful Marcello,.”
As Gilda, 2015 Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 Nadine Koutcher captured the virginal naivety of her character with childlike-innocence. Throughout her performance she was technically perfect, top notes were executed with complete precision. The chemistry between her and Catana was engaging and intense, which made one feel as if one was intruding on that special relationship between father and daughter. By the final scene this had grown to such a depth, one felt the virtual hammer blows of the curse as she died in his arms.