Modern resonances & musical style: Richard Farnes conducts Verdi's La traviata at the Grange Festival with Samantha Clarke & Nico Darmanin

Verdi: La Traviata - Samantha Clarke - The Grange Festival (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith)

Verdi: La traviata; Samantha Clarke, Nico Darmanin, Dario Solari, Annie Reilly, director: Maxine Braham, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Richard Farnes; The Grange Festival
Reviewed 21 June 2025

An impressively fully realised account of the title role from Samantha Clarke in a period production that pulled no punches, with a strongly balanced cast and terrific Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the pit. 

Verdi intended La traviata to be a reflection of contemporary moeurs but censorship prevented that and the first performance was set in the 17th century. That the opera's plot has resonance for modern audiences is in no doubt but dramaturgically the piece works best when set in the 1859s.

At the Grange Festival, director Maxine Braham (who directed Verdi's Macbeth there in 2022, see my review) and designer Jamie Vartan kept the 1850s setting, paying the audience the complement of not underestimating their intelligence. [seen 21 June 2025]. The festival assembled a strong international cast with Australian/British soprano Samantha Clarke as Violetta [we caught her as the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at Garsington last year, see my review], Maltese tenor Nico Darmanin as Alfredo, and Uruguayan baritone Dario Solari as Giorgio Germont. Richard Farnes conducted the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Verdi: La Traviata - Nico Darmanin - The Grange Festival (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith)

The setting might have been traditional but the look was stripped down whilst there was a stylisation to Braham's direction. Dancers (as servants) made great physical play with setting and resetting the furniture on the stage. In Act One, the revolve brought extra chaos to the party, but freezing the ensemble place Clarke's Violetta and Darmanin's Alfredo at the fore. In both parties, licentiousness and physicality threaded their way through the action.

The work began with a young girl, and she appeared at key moments, an indicator of the youthful Violetta perhaps. But though intriguing, no quite enough was made of this. Another theme was indicated through Violetta's fondness for pictures including a rather kitschy one that we learned, eventually, was a portrait of her as the penitent Magdalene, something only fully indicated in the last act when Violetta washed Alfredo's feet.

Violetta is a role the Samantha Clarke has sung in Australia (including at Sydney Opera House), and this was an impressively fully realised account of the the role with plenty of vividly telling detail. In Act ONe, she brought poise and charm to her public persona, yet also suggested Violetta's experience, this was no ingenue. The moments of doubt were there, but she was never frail of mind. Clarke's coloratura and ease with the challenges of Violetta's final scene in Act One were impressive, especially as the fioriture was there for expression, not sheer display.

In Act Two, her public mask dropped somewhat, but you did wonder whether Darmanin's self-deluded Alfredo ever saw the real Violetta. In the long scene with Dario Solari's Germont, the mask returned briefly, though Clarke brought fine emotionalism here too, yet stayed within style, there were no extraneous vocal histrionics, thankfully. And this continued in the last act were Clarke was visibly ill yet never over-wrought, and she was not afraid of using her full voice when required. This was a consummate and moving performance whose detail benefited the smaller theatre.

Verdi: La Traviata - Samantha Clarke - The Grange Festival (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith)

Nico Darmanin is known for his stylish performances in bel canto, notably Donizetti and Rossini, and he brought a similar sense of elegance to Alfredo. There was real style to his Brindisi and in his duetting with Clarke's Violetta in Act ONe. Darmanin was both elegant and ardent, always with a lovely sense of line. We are used to hearing this role sung by tenors who cut their teeth on Puccini and Verismo, but Darmanin demonstrated another way, with his voice developing a sense of silvery steel under pressure. His opening aria in Act Two as done as poetic soliloquy, and in Act Three, he joined Clarke in using the music to its utmost, giving us some thrilling moments. But there was another vein to this Alfredo, a sense of violence. In Act One, he seemed repressed rather than shy, and after meeting Alfredo's father in the shape of Dario Solari in Act Two, we understood why. This Alfredo reacted with remarkable anger both at the end of the first scene of Act Two, and in the wonderfully climactic scene at Flora's party. 

Dario Solari's Giorgio Germont was so stylish that, at first, I thought there was a danger that he might be under-powered. But for this man, manners were all, yet there was an implacability to him too, it was my way or nothing. He failed to even consider the consequences of his actions with Violette, nor did he comprehend his son's reaction.

The remaining seven role were all taken by members of the chorus, demonstrating both the quality of the singers and the festival's support for young artists.Annie Reilly was an engagingly personable Flora, a winning personality allied to a lovely voice. Isobel Garcia Araujo's was a supportive and very traditional Annina, discreet and never over-stepping the mark.

Jamie Vartan's costumes were admirable in the way he used medals, military uniform and costume to helpfully differentiate, the Marquis, the Baron, the Doctor and Gastone. Peter Edge made a wonderfully uptight Baron Duphol with a real vicious edge barely help in check. Sam Marston was warmly supportive as Gastone with Leo Selleck as the upright Marquis. Peter Lidbetter's Dr Grenvil was a wonderfully watchful presence in both party scenes before his final, sympathetic appearances in Act Three. Sam Kibble was Giuseppe in Act Two.

Though there were three male dances, the chorus was hard working, giving both party scenes great physicality as well as an engaging choral sound. The entertainment sequence at Flora's party was imaginatively staged with Braham making terrific use of her forces and coaxing some impressive dancing from her singers.

Verdi: La Traviata, Act 2, Scene 2 - The Grange Festival (Photo: Richard Hubert Smith)

Having Richard Farnes in charge of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the pit was real luxury indeed. Farnes drew a lovely fluidity and flexibility from the orchestra. This was a performance where time could stretch sympathetically yet there was always a sense of overall shape and momentum..

Musically this was a strong performance, but Maxine Braham had clearly helped her cast to be interested in a sense of character too. By the end, the modern resonances of the story were perfectly clear and we certainly did not need them signposting.

Never miss out on future posts by following us

The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee.

Elsewhere on this blog

• Maiden, Mother & Crone: Rowan Hellier on her interdisciplinary project integrating music & movement exploring Baba Yaga - interview
• The Merry Widow meets the Godfather: Scottish Opera brings John Savournin's production of Lehár's operetta to Opera Holland Park - review
• Enjoyment, exploration & sheer virtuosic fun: Sisters from Karine Deshayes & Delphine Haidan - record review
• The earth moves: Antoine Brumel's 12-part Earthquake Mass & Tallis' 40-part motet from Peter Phillips & The Tallis Scholars - concert review
• Lieder, songs and sonnets: David Butt Philip in Vaughan Williams, Alma Mahler, Wagner & Britten at Wigmore Hall - concert review
• A Visit to Friends: The opening work of the Aldeburgh Festival’s 76th edition fell to Colin Matthews’ first foray into opera - opera review
• A sonic portrait of British Jewish families: composer Na'ama Zisser on the JMI Archive - interview
• The one where Dido kills Aeneas: Oliver Platt radically refocuses Purcell's opera at Guildhall School - opera review
• Redefining "Success" as a Classical Musician - guest posting
• From kazoo & harpsichord to electronically-augmented ensemble: Alex Paxton's Delicious is a multi-layered maximalist delight - cd review
• Home