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Becoming Traviata

Becoming Traviata is a 2012 French documentary film chronicling rehearsals of the 1853 Giuseppe Verdi opera La traviata at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Directed by Philippe Béziat, the film focuses largely on stage director Jean-François Sivadier [fr] working with coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay. The film's French title is Traviata et nous (Traviata and Us).[1]

Becoming Traviata
Directed byPhilippe Béziat
Release date
  • 24 October 2012 (2012-10-24)
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

Background, production edit

Dessay first performed the role of Violetta at the Santa Fe Opera in 2009, two years before this, her European debut of the part. Some observers felt the role's demands exceeded Dessay's voice and speculated that such challenges may shorten her career. During rehearsals, Dessay uses a technique common among soloists of "marking", that is, singing the part in less than a full voice. In the film, tenor Charles Castronovo and baritone Ludovic Tézier do the same.[1] In October 2013, Dessay announced she would take a sabbatical from opera at least through 2015, singing only in concert.[2][3]

In the first days of rehearsal, Dessay found the film crew an unwelcome presence, an intruder at an intimate process in which the participants, who don't always know each other, learn to work together. The crew, in turn, worked at a more discreet distance. They shot more than 100 hours of footage, which was edited down to a running time of 1 hour, 52 minutes. Dessay was happy with the results "because it explains what we're doing but it stays mysterious. There's no recipe for what we do."[4]

Reception edit

On National Public Radio's Deceptive Cadence website, Tom Huizenga wrote that Becoming Traviata is arguably a film for opera geeks. "The long stretches of Sivadier explaining blocking, facial expressions and emotional underpinnings will fascinate some and fatigue others." Huizenga and Boston Globe critic Jeffrey Gantz thought the film was less approachable because it neither outlined the opera's plot nor revealed how the performance played in front of an audience. But, wrote Huizenga, the film's take on collaboration between the director, conductor and performers illuminates the creative process while continuing "the good fight to break down barriers between classical music and popular culture." He called La traviata a perfect choice for Béziat's aims: just as Verdi was writing an opera about everyday people, so does the documentary, which depicts opera "with its hair down", bring its audience closer to "seeing ourselves, backstage, struggling to bring our own realities to life."[1][5]

The New York Times reviewer Rachel Saltz credited soprano Dessay with letting the hard work of rehearsals show through. She wears minimal makeup and "lets the camera observe her closely. We see her bra strap, the freckles on her back, her wrinkles and blemishes. For an opera star, for any kind of star, it's remarkably unvain and oddly endearing."[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Huizenga, Tom (June 4, 2013). "Becoming Traviata: A Look At Opera From Behind The Curtain". National Public Radio.
  2. ^ "Natalie Dessay, le chant du départ" by Thierry Hillériteau, Le Figaro, 4 October 2013. (in French)
  3. ^ Silverman, Mike (June 22, 2013). "Natalie Dessay Sabbatical: Soprano Talks About Leaving Opera". Associated Press via Huffington Post.
  4. ^ Ng, David (May 22, 2013). "'Becoming Traviata' goes behind the opera scenes with Natalie Dessay". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Gantz, Jeffrey (May 28, 2013). "Becoming Traviata is becoming to Verdi". The Boston Globe.
  6. ^ Saltz, Rachel (May 14, 2013). "An Opera Star, Freckles, Blemishes and All". The New York Times.

External links edit

  • Becoming Traviata at IMDb  

becoming, traviata, 2012, french, documentary, film, chronicling, rehearsals, 1853, giuseppe, verdi, opera, traviata, provence, festival, directed, philippe, béziat, film, focuses, largely, stage, director, jean, françois, sivadier, working, with, coloratura, . Becoming Traviata is a 2012 French documentary film chronicling rehearsals of the 1853 Giuseppe Verdi opera La traviata at the Aix en Provence Festival Directed by Philippe Beziat the film focuses largely on stage director Jean Francois Sivadier fr working with coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay The film s French title is Traviata et nous Traviata and Us 1 Becoming TraviataDirected byPhilippe BeziatRelease date24 October 2012 2012 10 24 CountryFranceLanguageFrench Contents 1 Background production 2 Reception 3 References 4 External linksBackground production editDessay first performed the role of Violetta at the Santa Fe Opera in 2009 two years before this her European debut of the part Some observers felt the role s demands exceeded Dessay s voice and speculated that such challenges may shorten her career During rehearsals Dessay uses a technique common among soloists of marking that is singing the part in less than a full voice In the film tenor Charles Castronovo and baritone Ludovic Tezier do the same 1 In October 2013 Dessay announced she would take a sabbatical from opera at least through 2015 singing only in concert 2 3 In the first days of rehearsal Dessay found the film crew an unwelcome presence an intruder at an intimate process in which the participants who don t always know each other learn to work together The crew in turn worked at a more discreet distance They shot more than 100 hours of footage which was edited down to a running time of 1 hour 52 minutes Dessay was happy with the results because it explains what we re doing but it stays mysterious There s no recipe for what we do 4 Reception editOn National Public Radio s Deceptive Cadence website Tom Huizenga wrote that Becoming Traviata is arguably a film for opera geeks The long stretches of Sivadier explaining blocking facial expressions and emotional underpinnings will fascinate some and fatigue others Huizenga and Boston Globe critic Jeffrey Gantz thought the film was less approachable because it neither outlined the opera s plot nor revealed how the performance played in front of an audience But wrote Huizenga the film s take on collaboration between the director conductor and performers illuminates the creative process while continuing the good fight to break down barriers between classical music and popular culture He called La traviata a perfect choice for Beziat s aims just as Verdi was writing an opera about everyday people so does the documentary which depicts opera with its hair down bring its audience closer to seeing ourselves backstage struggling to bring our own realities to life 1 5 The New York Times reviewer Rachel Saltz credited soprano Dessay with letting the hard work of rehearsals show through She wears minimal makeup and lets the camera observe her closely We see her bra strap the freckles on her back her wrinkles and blemishes For an opera star for any kind of star it s remarkably unvain and oddly endearing 6 References edit a b c Huizenga Tom June 4 2013 Becoming Traviata A Look At Opera From Behind The Curtain National Public Radio Natalie Dessay le chant du depart by Thierry Hilleriteau Le Figaro 4 October 2013 in French Silverman Mike June 22 2013 Natalie Dessay Sabbatical Soprano Talks About Leaving Opera Associated Press via Huffington Post Ng David May 22 2013 Becoming Traviata goes behind the opera scenes with Natalie Dessay Los Angeles Times Gantz Jeffrey May 28 2013 Becoming Traviata is becoming to Verdi The Boston Globe Saltz Rachel May 14 2013 An Opera Star Freckles Blemishes and All The New York Times External links editBecoming Traviata at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Becoming Traviata amp oldid 1109825839, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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