Satisfying all round: Opera Holland Park's revival of its 2018 production of Verdi's La traviata showcases a trio of fine principals in a vividly realised production

Verdi: La Traviata - Alison Langer, Ellie Edmonds - Opera Holland Park 2025 (Photo: Ali Wright)

Verdi: La Traviata; Alison Langer, Matteo Desole, Michel de Souza, director: Rodula Gaitanou, conductor: Matthew Kofi Waldren, City of London Sinfonia; Opera Holland Park
Reviewed 23 July 2025

Holland Park's revival of its 2018 production was no seasoned routine, but a vibrantly living and musical performance that was profoundly satisfying with two principals who have grown into their roles

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Verdi's La traviata returned to Opera Holland Park for the third time in Rodula Gaitanou's handsomely traditional yet intelligent production. Having debuted in 2018 [see my review] with Lauren Fagan and Matteo Desole (with Alison Langer in the Young Artists Performance), it returned in 2021 [see my review] with Lauren Fagan and Alison Langer, sharing the title role, and Matteo Desole. And here we were again, with a cast many of whom had been associated with the production since its outset.

We caught the performance on 23 July 2025, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren (who was also associated with the production from the outset in 2018) with Alison Langer as Violetta, Matteo Desole as Alfredo and Michel de Souza as Giorgio Germont, plus Ellie Edmonds as Annina and Laura Woods as Flora. Designs were by Cordelia Chisholm, lighting by Simon Corder and choreography by Steve Elias. The City of London Sinfonia was in the pit (using a slightly reduced orchestration with fewer horns and brass, and no on-stage band).

Verdi: La Traviata - Opera Holland Park 2025 (Photo: Ali Wright)

There was definitely no sense of routine revival about this performance, but rather the feeling that the two principals had grown into their roles. The production itself remained full of enlivening detail. Gaitanou's 'big idea' is to start and finish with Violetta's illness with the sound of laboured breathing, and during the overture, as we see her dressing for the party, she coughs up blood, bright red on white gloves. A relatively small moment, but a telling one.

The detail in the Act One party was so profuse that at times it threatened to overwhelm. Gaitanou had clearly worked with the chorus and we seemed to be presented with multiple little narratives, yet this had a purpose. It emphasised the busy public life that Langer's Violetta inhabited. And despite, Desole's Alfredo seeming to be retiring and somewhat naïve, there was a thread of determination in him too. And once we reached Alfredo and Violetta's duet, the music was allowed to take over. Langer and Desole made an appealing pairing, her poise and disdain being worn down by his combination of determination and little-boy-lost appeal. The final scene of the act showcased Langer's strong lyric soprano, perhaps more robust in the coloratura than before but this surely showed Violetta's intense mood. After all, this is not meant to be simply a fun act closer. And Langer's voice promised much for the opera's subsequent scenes.

The first scene in Act Two is the one that makes me itch rather, Piave's compression of time and place in the libretto makes complete naturalism difficult. Here, Alfredo's obsession with gardening and potting plants was used as rather a neat metaphor, and Desole managed to make this Alfredo single minded and unthinking without being too much of an idiot. Michel de Souza brought an admirable firmness and dignity to Giorgio Germont, along with a fine, malleable voice. His Giorgio Germont was very much on his dignity, yet allowing Langer's passionate Violetta to surprise him. Their scene together very fine indeed. Langer allowed Violetta to be desperate, but not that desperate, she was emotional but not hysterical, retaining a sense of self possession.

Verdi: La Traviata - Matteo Desole - Opera Holland Park 2025 (Photo: Ali Wright)

There was a sense of underlying violence to de Souza's Giorgio Germont, something that he brought out in the scene with Desole's Alfredo. Here both men had a surprising capacity for violence when challenged. As with most successful La traviata productions that I have seen, this one brought out Alfredo's limitations with Desole giving us a wonderfully rounded characterisation.

After the interval, we returned to Act Two for Flora's party. One creditable point that the production chalked up was getting the dress right for Alfredo and his father, both looked attired for the right sort of party rather than just wandering in off the street. Everyone had great fun with the depiction of Flora's party as a definitely louche affair, with Gaitanou again encouraging the chorus to provide an almost distracting backdrop. But out of this came one of the evening's most compelling scenes, when Alfredo and Violetta met alone. Here Langer and Desole made their relationship really crackle, Desole making Alfredo's capacity for violence meet Langer's wonderfully realised Violetta with her poise and capacity for self possession. Terrific stuff.

This Violetta did not collapse in a faint on the floor, she was far too together for that, though Alfredo's gesture did cause her to retire. This meant that Gaitanou was able to create a sense of dynamism to the terrific ensemble, and Langer's voice is now such that it soared wonderfully in the ensembles.

Verdi: La Traviata - Alison Langer, Matteo Desole - Opera Holland Park 2025 (Photo: Ali Wright)

With the size of the Opera Holland Park stage, any idea of intimacy had to be compromised in the final act. Perhaps Langer did a little too much acting ill, the stagger across stage being rather much. But musically, this was a compelling performance. At times here voice was a thread, yet at the key moments she soared admirably, searing with great power. A telling moment in the production was Violetta and Alfredo's duet, 'Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo'. This was no confident affirmation, Desole's Alfredo sang it almost as a consolation to Violetta in the full knowledge that this departure from Paris would never happen. These final moments were brought to the fore-stage, thus giving us extra intimacy.

Both Langer and Desole seem to have grown into their roles and into the production, and Violetta and Alfredo's relationship was depicted in a fully realised, wonderfully rounded way that was musically satisfying. De Souza made a highly creditable and supportive third. Around them had been assembled a fine cast who enlivened the stage with vivid characters.

Laura Woods was a warm and lively Flora, positively voluptuous in her manner during Act Two. Ellie Edmonds wonderfully fierce Annina thankfully got more stage time than usual, whilst Henry Grant Kerswell's Dottore Grenvil seemed to have acquired a boyfriend! Nicholas Garrett's Barone Douphol, all stiff manner and clipped delivery, was almost hiss-worthy in his steely nastiness. Zwakele Tshabalala and Chuma Sijeqa provided sterling support as Gastone and Marchese d'Obigny though the production gave us no help at differentiating them. Robert Jenkins and Alastair Sutherland provided the smaller roles of Giuseppe and the Messenger in Act Two, with Ian Massa-Harris-McFeely in the silent role of Flora's servant.

The chorus entered into the production with a will, giving innumerable little cameos in the party scenes and overall seeming to be completely part of the production.

Verdi: La Traviata - Laura Woods. Chuma Sijeqa - Opera Holland Park 2025 (Photo: Ali Wright)

In the pit, Matthew Kofi Waldren demonstrated that he has developed into a seasoned Verdian, drawing a fine performance out of all concerned. This was one which flowed dramatically, yet individual singers were allowed time to expand and breathe without letting things stretch out. And overall, there was the sense that music itself was shaped in a way that allowed it to flow.

Opera Holland Park has been rightly celebratory of the way the stars aligned for this production when it debuted and this revival was no seasoned routine, but a vibrantly living and musical performance that was profoundly satisfying.

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