La Traviata Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Eighth Met Opera Production

Summary: La Traviata was Franco Zeffirelli’s eighth Met Opera production, debuting during the 1989-1990 season as his third Verdi opera at the opera house.

Victoria Loukianetz made her Metropolitan Opera debut, opposite Marcello Giordani's Alfredo and Carlos Alvarez's Met Opera debut as Germont, in the 1996-1997 season, in Met Opera's fifth and last revival of Franco Zeffirelli's first new production of Verdi's La Traviata; Zeffirelli designed the production's costumes and sets: Victoria Loukianetz -- Виктория Лукьянец @victoria.loukianetz, via Facebook June 16, 2012

La Traviata was Franco Zeffirelli’s eighth Met Opera production, which debuted in the 1989-1990 season and numbered as the third Verdi opera and the first of two successive La Traviata productions created by the Italian designer, director and producer at the Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera debuted Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of La Traviata on Monday, Oct. 16, 1989, in the opera house’s 731st performance of the opera about a beloved “fallen woman” by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). The new production received 18 performances in the 1989-1990 Met Opera season.

Involvement by Franco Zeffirelli (Feb. 12, 1923-June 15, 2019) in Verdi’s La Traviata marked his third production of a Verdi opera at the Metropolitan Opera. Zeffirelli had made his Metropolitan Opera debut with his new production of Verdi’s Falstaff in the 1963-1964 season. His second staging of a Verdi opera had occurred in the 1971-1972 season with his new production of Otello.

Zeffirelli directed and designed his new production of La Traviata. His production team comprised American lighting director Gil Wechsler (born Feb. 5, 1942) and Canadian choreographer and Metropolitan Opera Ballet director Norbert Vesak (Oct. 22, 1936-Oct. 2, 1990).

Carlos Kleiber (July 3, 1930-July 13, 2004) conducted the premiere and the second performance in the production’s debut season. The German-born Austrian conductor had made his Metropolitan Opera debut Jan. 22, 1988, in the opera house’s 928th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Richard Woitach (born July 27, 1936) conducted the third through fifth performances in the debut season. The American conductor, composer and pianist had made his Metropolitan Opera debut Feb. 24, 1973, during the opera company’s 1972-1973 tour, in Met Opera’s fifth performance of Syllabaire Pour Phèdre by French composer Maurice Ohana (June 12, 1913-Nov. 13, 1992).

Michelangelo Veltri (Aug. 18, 1940-Dec. 18, 1997) conducted the sixth through 13th performances in the debut season. The Argentine conductor had made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 10, 1971, in the opera house’s 494th performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Christian Badea (born Dec. 10, 1947) conducted the last five performances, which were staged in June, during the Metropolitan Opera’s 1971-1972 tour. The Romanian-American opera and symphonic conductor had made his Metropolitan Opera debut May 5, 1986, during the opera company’s 1985-1986 tour, in Met Opera’s 699th performance of Puccini’s Tosca.

Three sopranos sang the title role of Violetta in the production’s debut season. Slovak coloratura soprano Edita Gruberová (born Dec. 23, 1946) sang the title role in the premiere and in three additional performances. American dramatic soprano Karen Huffstodt sang Violetta in nine performances. American operatic soprano Marilyn Mims (born Sept. 8, 1954) sang Violetta in five performances.

Four tenors sang opposite Violetta as Alfredo Germont. American tenor Neil Shicoff (born June 2, 1949) appeared in the premiere and in six additional performances. American tenor Walter MacNeil made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the production’s second performance, Oct. 20, and returned for the eighth performance Nov. 11. Canarian tenor Alfredo Kraus (Nov. 24, 1927-Sept. 10, 1999) made eight appearances in the production. American tenor Neil Wilson (born Neil Nease; June 4, 1956-Aug. 21, 2000) appeared once as Alfredo, in the debut season’s penultimate performance, June 22, 1990.

The Metropolitan Opera staged five revivals of Zeffirelli’s La Traviata in the seven seasons since the production’s 1989-1990 season debut. The production skipped two seasons in the interim.

The first three revivals were staged in the three seasons immediately succeeding the production’s debut season: 1990-1991, 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons. No revival was offered in the 1993-1994 season.

The fourth revival took place in the 1994-1995 season. No revival was offered in the 1995-1996 season.

The fifth and final revival occurred in the 1996-1997 season. The production’s final performance took place as a Saturday matinee broadcast on Jan. 18, 1997. Closing night numbered as the 87th performance of Zeffirelli’s production and as the opera house’s 818th performance of La Traviata. From debut to final performance, Zeffirelli’s La Traviata remained in Met Opera’s regularly performed repertory for 7 years 3-plus months.

After retiring Zeffirelli’s first staging of La Traviata, the Metropolitan Opera launched Zeffirelli’s new production of the opera in the 1998-1999 season. Zeffirelli’s second staging of Verdi’s La Traviata debuted Nov. 23, 1998, and finally closed in the 2009-2010 season.

La Traviata received its Metropolitan Opera premiere on Nov. 5, 1883. The opera receive six performances in the 1883-1884 season.

The takeaways for La Traviata as Franco Zeffirelli’s eighth Met Opera production are that the Italian designer and director’s staging numbered as his third Verdi opera and his first of two La Traviata productions at the Metropolitan Opera and that his 1989-1990 season staging, which experienced 10 revivals, remained in Met Opera’s active repertory for seven and one-fourth years.

Franco Zeffirelli designed costumes and sets for his first Met Opera production of Verdi’s La Traviata, which debuted in the 1986-1987 season: TDF @TDFNYC, via Twitter Jan. 10, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Victoria Loukianetz made her Metropolitan Opera debut, opposite Marcello Giordani's Alfredo and Carlos Alvarez's Met Opera debut as Germont, in the 1996-1997 season, in Met Opera's fifth and last revival of Franco Zeffirelli's first new production of Verdi's La Traviata; Zeffirelli designed the production's costumes and sets: Victoria Loukianetz -- Виктория Лукьянец @victoria.loukianetz, via Facebook June 16, 2012, @ https://www.facebook.com/victoria.loukianetz/photos/a.430474143639898/430474193639893/

Franco Zeffirelli designed costumes and sets for his first Met Opera production of Verdi’s La Traviata, which debuted in the 1986-1987 season: TDF @TDFNYC, via Twitter Jan. 10, 2018, @ https://twitter.com/TDFNYC/status/951109402114822144

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