Verdi's "La Traviata' at the Met

This spring's run of La Traviata at the Met is a significant end as well as a beginning.

It's the desuetude of Franco Zeffirelli's massive production, which will be retired and replaced next season by a simple, modern-dress mounting of the opera. Some critics are glad to see the big production go, feeling it was distracting in its elaborateness. But a large public applauds the sets.

I admit that I'll miss it. This forced retirement seems unnecessary. Violetta de Valery inhabits a world of luxury, so Zeffirelli's extravagance is appropriate. In Act III, when Violetta attends a party given by royalty, the libretto specifies a costumed ballet, so there, especially, we expect"“ nay, we need"“ sumptuousness.

The new element is the Met debut of the 32-year-old tenor James Valenti as Alfredo Germont. My wife and I have followed Valenti's career since he enrolled at the Academy of Vocal Arts in 2002. Under the guidance of the AVA's music director, Christofer Macatsoris, Valenti starred in Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Faust and more, and he subsequently appeared in lead roles at Salzburg, La Scala and the New York City Opera.

Pleasant surprise

While I expected good singing from Valenti, I was surprised and pleased to see how his voice filled the cavernous Met and how comfortable he sounded. This hall is far larger than those where I saw and heard Valenti in the past, and he resisted the temptation to push for a larger sound. Valenti's vocal production is free and relaxed. There's no tightness, no forcing, and the audience sensed that a new star has arrived in the big town.

Especially notable was Valenti's use of portamento, a linking of notes to make a unified phrase, and the way he artfully diminished some of his high notes, instead of blasting them. His coaching— from Bill Schuman in New York and Virginia Zeani in Florida— clearly is shaping him into a major artist.

His good impression is helped by the fact that Valenti is six feet five inches tall and handsome to boot. The opera world hasn't seen this combination of voice and stature since Franco Corelli. (Don't expect Corelli's stentorian power, however. At least not yet.)

Gheorghiu's problem

You may think it odd that I haven't yet mentioned the soprano star of La Traviata, Angela Gheorghiu. After all, hers is the central role in the opera. But there's little new to report about Gheorghiu's singing.

Violetta is one of her best roles. She possesses the voice, the technique and the looks for the part. Her tone is warm and rich, and she handles the coloratura high passages well.

She makes poor choices, however, when she slows and elongates the vocal line, trying to underline Violetta's emotions. When she sings about giving up her lover and about dying, she loses intensity and the opera forfeits some of its urgency. Gheorghiu should trust more in Giuseppe Verdi's instructions.

Thomas Hampson was a very interesting Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father. He played and sang the role with lyricism, rather than the bluster we often hear in the part. On the one hand, this interpretation underlines the fact that he is a father who wants the best for his family. At the same time, it introduces a nasty element that gives the story a deeper richness.

Hampson is so suave that he makes us realize that this father will use every trick he can to manipulate people— not to help his son but to undermine him. This Giorgio is a self-centered meddler. I applaud Hampson's innovative approach.

Steven White made his Met debut as conductor of La Traviata, one of four men dividing that task this season. He sounded like a veteran, pacing the opera effectively during most scenes and deftly accommodating the soprano during her indulgences.