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

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Dominic Lowe, 13th May

With Aigul Akhmetshina and Seokjong Baek in the title roles, there are reasons to be optimistic, but The Royal Opera’s revival of Richard Jones’ production is a mixed bag.

***11

Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera

Christopher Woodley, 5th May

Allan Clayton and Sir Bryn Terfel lead a strong cast in a revival of Deborah Warner's dark staging of Britten's signature work at Covent Garden.

****1

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Eleanor Knight, 1st May

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****1

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Eleanor Knight, 26th March

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*****

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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

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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.

*****

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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.