How is it possible to let this happen? How can I maintain any critical subjectivity after witnessing such a disastrous production from a staging point of view? Anything related to Verdi, even remotely, is like touching my child—he is the greatest opera composer, and his legacy was tarnished in Geneva during this performance.
So, in order not to disrespect those who are not at fault—namely, the singers—I will focus my review on them, and settle the score with the management of the Grand Théâtre de Genève in private.
I’ll only speak about the staging for the next two lines: a disgrace, a complete disregard for the score, the story, the libretto, and above all, for Giuseppe Verdi‘s work. I still wonder how no one has gone on strike or lodged a formal complaint against a theatre management that dares defend itself by saying: “anything new is shocking, and being shocked is sometimes good.” The booing during both the opening night and the second performance with the alternate cast shows just how fed up the Swiss audience is—and rightfully so.
Yet what a thrill it was to read that one of the most promising baritones of his generation was about to debut a new role! Indeed, Luca Micheletti, who had left me speechless as Jago in Otello in December 2023 in Piacenza, made his Geneva debut as Papa Germont! What a pleasure! What a delight to see him perform and sing those two magnificent arias from Act I on the stage of the Grand Théâtre—he has once again proven that the future of dramatic Italian opera lies with him!
As for Enea Scala, whom I had seen shine (and that’s an understatement) in Lucrezia Borgia earlier this year in Rome, he is perfectly at ease in the role of the son Germont. Despite the immense challenges imposed by the so-called stage director, he performs admirably, though I preferred him in bel canto—but it’s like comparing a Porsche to a Mercedes!
And one of the five Violettas on stage (exactly the same number of drugs the stage director must have taken before coming up with her concept), Ruzan Mantashyan also does very well. With so much competition pushing everyone to excellence, the Armenian soprano stands out as a wonderful discovery.
In summary: a magnificent vocal cast in what is undoubtedly the worst thing I have ever seen in a theatre.
