JP/Harry Nazarudin
"Libiamo nei lieti calici che la bellezza infiora, e la fuggevol ora s'inebri a volutt*". (Let's drink from these cups adorned with flowers, to the fleeting hours of pleasure).
Once upon a time, there was a young and attractive newcomer in Paris named Alfredo Germont. He came from Provence, bringing with him the boundless self-confidence of a man ready to take on the city.
As he sings his drinking song, he stuns the audience in the party. Among them is a beautiful courtesan by the name of Violetta Valry. Violetta comes from a different world: She is a noble lady, fond of parties, drink and men -- the joys of the 19th century Parisian lifestyle.
For Violetta, this party is supposed to be just another party, but Alfredo Germont has changed her world. She receives a calling of love from him: A calling for her to leave all the glamour of Paris and embrace her loved one.
As Alfredo's love song echoes in the background, she turns away from Paris and goes to live with her lover.
But Violetta realizes she can never have this young man from Provence -- the whole idea of love is nothing more than a dream, impossible for the lady of sin that she is.
She returns to Paris, as if pulled unwillingly by the rotating stage, away from Alfredo, whom she leaves weeping on the floor.
Prendi, quest'* l'immagine de'miei passati giorni; a rammentar ti torni colei che s t'am* (Take this portrait of me from the past, as a remembrance of how much I loved you).
A young girl appears on stage, dressed in white, holding a white balloon. In the foreground lies Violetta, physically weakened by her illness, but mostly devastated by her broken heart.
Alfredo comes to the rescue just minutes before it's all over. Appearing in the background, he pledges his love for Violetta one last time.
The director staged this scene by arranging Alfredo, his father and Violetta all facing the audience, reaching out as if making a pledge to the crowd. As Alfredo is still shaking with grief, the balloon rises quickly from the girl's hand to the sky, symbolizing Violetta's soul leaving her body for eternity. The curtain falls -- it's over.
It was an other-worldly experience to watch this complete version of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata in the Vienna's Common Opera House (Wiener Volksoper) recently.
Playing the role of Violetta Valery was the beautiful soprano Marina Rebeka, with Alfredo Germont played by the pony-tailed Soner B*lent Bezd*z. The flawless orchestra was conducted by Alfred Eschw*, and director and stage coordinator was Hans Gratzer.
The opera house is less grandiose than the Vienna Opera House (Wien Oper). The interior is simple, with ample lighting and ruby-red curtains.
The stage consists of an orchestra pit, with a circular hydraulic center that can be elevated and turned around, and a circular curtain as decoration.
Supporting mimes and dancers appear in almost every scene, depicting the mood at the moment -- from glamorous Parisian parties to the darkened room where Violetta loses her life. The entire production was staged in a simple, but impressive way.
The Volksoper serves as a more common alternative to the larger Wien Oper. Thus, unlike the big Oper, the Volksoper is filled not with tourists but with ordinary Viennese who treat it as a weekend activity.
It is such a joy to see this high art become beloved by regular people, just like the times when Indonesians used to go to a Wayang Orang performance on the weekends.
It is rather sad to see the invasion of television kitsch taking over the position of dancing, singing and appreciation of art in general as a leisure activity.
Perhaps if the Indonesia Opera Society brought La Traviata to Jakarta, it would be a good start for Jakartans to catch a glimpse of the wonderful world of real operas. After all, the Usmar Ismail hall already has one feature that is better than the Volksoper: air conditioning!
