Verdi: La Traviata 18 years old

From a skeptic this production excels in every way

This superb 2006 production of the Los Angeles Opera's La Traviata stars Renée Fleming, who joins the ranks of the elite handful of sopranos whose vocal and acting talents make their portrayals memorable. Her Violetta Valéry is a vulnerable figure torn between self-indulgence and love, sacrificing personal happiness to become a victim of the social mores of mid-19th-century bourgeois France. Fleming's acting captures the complexity of the character and her vocalism is flawless. She negotiates the wild coloratura of Act One with aplomb, and is stunning in the lyric passages that pervade the opera, and touching in her scenes with her lover, Alfredo, and his father. She's blessed with Rolando Villazón as Alfredo. He brings fiery passion to the role of the impetuous lover, convincing in his anger at what he thinks is her betrayal, and in his regrets in their last-act deathbed reconciliation.

Credits

Verdi: La Traviata Cast

Name	Character
Rolando Villazón He was 34, now 52 years old	as Alfredo
Renée Fleming She was 47, now 65 years old	as Violetta

Verdi: La Traviata Crew

Name	Department
Giuseppe Verdi as Original Music Composer. He was 192 (87) years old when He died	Sound
Alexandre Dumas fils as Original Story. He was 182 (71) years old when He died	Writing
Brian Large as Director. He was 67 (now 85) years old	Directing
Francesco Maria Piave as Writer. He was 196 (65) years old when He died	Writing