Florian demonstrated that she had all the vocal requisites for the role – a secure legato, brilliant coloratura technique, and, when needed, a voice of spinto power.įlorian enlisted her acting skill to create a portrait of a woman who is plagued by insecurities and self-doubts, even as she achieved a degree of economic security in Parisian society.Ĭopley’s staging (as revived by Texas stage director Shawna Lucey) credibly framed Florian’s expressive singing and acting – her plaintive Ah, fors è lui sung in a party space which all other guests have left, and her joyous aria Sempre libera sung on the porch of opened French doors.įlorian is captivating in the final act as her Violetta, from memory, recites to herself the contents of Alfredo’s letter, each word obviously burned into her soul. The performance introduced Romanian soprano Aurelia Florian to an appreciative War Memorial Opera House audience. The opera, presented in British Director John Copley’s classic 1987 production, was the occasion for the San Francisco Opera debuts of Aurelia Florian, the Violetta Atalla Ayan, the Alfredo and Artur Rucinski, the Elder Germont. The final opera to be conducted by Maestro Nicola Luisotti during his nine-season tenure as Music Director of the San Francisco Opera is Verdi’s “La Traviata”.

San francisco opera la traviata