Verdi in Oman: La Traviata at the Royal Opera House, Muscat

The Royal Opera House, Muscat

Verdi La Traviata; Kristina Mkhitaryan, Arturo Chacón Cruz, Plácido Domingo, dir: Marta Domingo, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Massimo di Palermo, cond: Domingo Hindoyan; Royal Opera House, Muscat Reviewed by Anthony Evans on 9 February 2019 Star rating: 4.0 (★★★★)
A sparkling Kristina Mkhitaryan rescues a performance by numbers

The Royal Opera House, Muscat

What to do after a day lounging in the sun on the Omani coast? I know it’s a filthy job but somebody’s got to do it. Turns out, if you are of a mind, you can hie thee to the technical marvel that is the Royal Opera House, Muscat. The multiform theatre can transform from an intimate 1,100 seat opera house into an 850-seat shoebox-style concert hall with the push of a button. It’s impressive. This modern Omani palace of limestone and stucco rises from the craggy desert surroundings sparkling in the twilight. The interior replete with teak panelling and marble draws its visitors towards the grand staircase and into the auditorium.

The performance at the Royal Opera House, Muscat on Saturday 9 February 2019 was a production of Verdi's La Traviata with a long history. It premiered at the Opera Royal de Wallonia in 1997, a co-production with Washington and Los Angeles Opera. Now a Royal Opera Muscat production with the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, it was lent some star power by Placido Domingo as papa Germont. The tragic heroine was sung by the Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan with the Swiss-Mexican tenor Arturo Chacón Cruz as Alfredo and Irish-Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta as Flora. It was conducted by Domingo Hindoyan and directed by Marta Domingo.