re! ease of La fraviata VOA to open season with Verdi’s popular opera LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi, Kiri Te Kanawa — Violetta, Alfredo Kraus — Alfredo. Or- chestra and chorus of the Maggio Musicale, Florence, Zubin Mehta conducting. Ross MacDonald MUSIC REVIEW HE TIMING of this new release from Philips couldn’t be better for us Lower Mainlanders as La Traviata is - to be the Vancouver Opera’s season opener on Saturday, Gct. 23. . : Curiously, this now-popular opera was almost a complete failure at its premiere in Venice in 1853. The singers apparently had no confidence in the score and are held largely to blame because Graziani — the Alfredo — was hoarse on opening night and Salvini-Donatelli — the Violetta — was So fat that the audience actu- ally laughed during the scene ‘when she was supposed to be dy- ing of consumption. The fact that it was set in a con- temporary setting also nonplussed an audience more accustomed to seeing their opera.fare set in the ‘distant past. This had particular appeal because archaic and elabo- rate costuming was regarded as inherent to enjoying the opera ex- perience. But Verdi had complete con- fidence in his music. The libretto, adapted hy Francesco Piave from Alexandre Dumas’ play, La Dame aux Camelias, had loiig been one of Verdi's favorites. The Violetta of both play and opera was based on the rea! Parisian courtesan, Marie Duplessis, who died of consump- tion at the age of 23. It was while viewing Dumas’ play i 1852 in Paris that Verdi was inspired to operatize it. La Traviata eventually gained the success it now enjoys after its re- release in Venice a year after the disastrous premiere. This time, the period and costume were set back - to the time of Louis XIV and cast Dvedad bas Pol Coops, Nem Poon Edad Meneses & Micelle Coch a 21S FOR MOKE REFORMATION 688-3312 Ft 930 Sarton Stacy with clearer — and thinner ~— singers. Venice, which condemn- ed the production so heartily only a year previous, now embraced La Traviata, and success has never been absent since. Our recording and virtually all modern productions return to the original 19th century Parisian set- ting. Of course, there are reams of re- cordings of La Traviata on cassette, LP, CD and even 78s | would ven- ture, But if yours is that old, or you've only now grudgingly come to accept that opera CDs in- variably cost as much as opera tickets, here’s a new version that will serve your collection weil. There’s nothing remarkable about this recording save for the fact that it is exceptionally compe- tent in every way. The producers and engineers, orchestra and con- ductor, chorus and cast all manage their jobs bezutifully throughout without the disturbing tendency to impose the personal marks that mark many new productions, it's nice to come across a generic in- terpretation of familiar musics once in a while, particularly since they're becoming harder to find. This may come as a bit of sur- prise to Kiri Te Kanawa fans who properly rely on the Maori diva to provide exceptional performances. But, paradoxically, they won't be disappointed here. The exception, however, lies in her constrained and creduious portrayal of Violetta as opposed to any showcasing of her considerable abilities. Incidentally, Kanawa was made Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1982 for her services to Pg WHAT'S * WINDOW DRESSING 2 AVOIDING Photo Nader VERDI'S NOW-POPULAR opera was almost a complete failure at its premiere in Venice in 1882. music and is now officially .ad- dressed as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. David Agler will be conducting Susan Patterson’s Violetta through the Vancouver Opera production which also features Manfred Fink as Alfredo and Haijing Fu as Ger- mont. Though they're selling fast, tickets are still available — especially far the Monday, Nov. 1 performance — and can be had from the ticket office at 683-0222. NG N NOTIONS - 17S SEW EASY is THE MISFIT QUICK QUILTING TIDBITS Sale features TO COINCIDE with the open- ing of the new Capilano Col- lege Library un Thursday (Oct. 21) at 4 p.m., professor and noted watercolorist Kiff Holland will be fiosting a student art sale. More than 80 works by 20 students will be available, the proceeds of which will help send the aspirant artists on a ESECESSCRTITIT 1 AAT ESOS stucent work study tour of New York City galleries. “My students asked me what had really turned my crank when | started out,"’ says Holland. “I thought about it and told them that it was my first trip to New York — seeing the real stuff as opposed to reproductions. “So it only made sense.’ (? QLentino Now open for Lunch and Examples: — Lobster Linguini — Fettucini Smoked Salmon — Canmelloni Stuffed w/Veal Varieties of Pasta!! all at POOH OHCOTDOO starts on Oct. 22 ends Ocz. 31/93 Linguini Pescatore FREE Hors d’ouevres on our Grand Opening on Thursday, October 21 from 5-10:30pm 2168 Marine Drive, West Vancouver For Reservations call 925-2765 G LITTER CING THROUGH INTERFACING Re menor