Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Ermonela Jaho (Violetta)

Aleksei Isaev (Germont) and Giovanni Sala (Alfredo)

Ermonela Jaho (Violetta) and the Royal Opera Chrous

La traviata, Act 1 Scene 2

By Mark Valencia, 09 January 2026

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“so intelligent, so deeply considered, that it transcended mere beauty”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 8 January 2026

Verdi, La traviata

The Royal Opera

Antonello Manacorda, Conductor

Sir Richard Eyre, Director

Bob Crowley, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Jean Kalman, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Ermonela Jaho, Violetta Valéry

Giovanni Sala, Alfredo Germont

Aleksei Isaev, Giorgio Germont

Ellen Pearson, Flora Bervoix

Giorgi Guliashvili, Gastone de Letorières

Sam Hird, Baron Douphol

Veena Akama-Makia, Annina

Ossian Huskinson, Marquis d'Obigny

Barnaby Rea, Dr Grenvil

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

Turandot drowned in an orchestral tsunami at The Royal Opera

David Karlin, 15th December

Andrei Șerban’s 40 year old take on Puccini's tale of the ice princess largely stands the test of time, but Netrebko and Eyvazov are short of their best form.

***11

Handel’s Ariodante returns home to Covent Garden

Roy Westbrook, 9th December

Jetske Mijnssen’s house debut sees Handel’s opera transposed to a modern-day palace, with Emily D'Angelo angelic in the title role.

****1

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.