I must say I approached ENO's new version of La Traviata (<http://www.eno.org>) with much trepidation. I had read about the fact it had no interval, that there were some cuts and that the staging was very minimal.
Perhaps it is indicative of the current financial situation at ENO that the staging was so simple - a chair, a pile of books and lots and lots of red curtains, but somehow it worked in a funny sort of way. Of course we miss the opulence of earlier productions, but let's face it, there are some cracking tunes in La Traviata!
Director Peter Knowitschny managed to make it all very entertaining - even without the gypsy dancers. My biggest gripe was bringing on Alfredo's sister to be used as a bargaining tool by his father - and having her as a small child. This seemed at odds with what was being sung.....we are led to believe that she won't be able to marry if Alfredo carries on bringing shame to the family through his liaison with Violetta. In a way it seemed very creepy! How long was this child going to be betrothed?
Corinne Winters was an excellent Violetta. She sang well and looked great.
Ben Johnson's Alfredo also sang well. I'm not sure why he had to be dressed totally at odds with the party outfits of everyone else.
Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father was capably, if somewhat boomingly, sung by Anthony Michaels-Moore.
As usual, the ENO chorus added to the whole production and would be sadly missed if the current financial crisis brings back the worrying suggestion that it needs to be cut (as happened last time the company was having money problems!).
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