Review of Becoming Traviata (2012) by Ola S — 08 Aug 2013

It's tried more and more, bringing the monument out of opera and concentrating on details. And directing it with the same demands on the singers as on talking actors. Perhaps the really big voices are losing that battle to voices who are only almost big, but with a narrating character.

In this documentary by Philippe Béziat, we follow Jean-Francois Sivadier rehearsing La Traviata with Nathalie Dessay. He's kind, she's kind, it's a production there loud voices are never heard during instructions. You understand Dessay has been both an actress and a dancer, so she finds her expressions very quickly.

What's happening is that you are more touched by seeing these rehearsal works, than you've been by most Traviata performances you've watched. You get an intimate Verdi. And are suprised by how well it suits him.