I recently had the good fortune and extreme pleasure of hearing Mr. Choi's debut at the Met in this very opera. He went on as the cover for the announced tenor. The audience went wild, although most had no idea who he was, as there was no insert in the program nor an announcement from the stage of the cast change. Since it was his first time on the MET stage, he had no real way of knowing how his voice would sound in the huge house. So he sang the 1st act really loudly. He sounded more like a spinto than a lyric. And when he spoke of love to Violetta, he almost sounded like his father, Giorgio Germont, yelling at her. But, during the intermission, someone must have told him this was unnecessary, and we heard an entirely different Alfredo. His "Dei miei bollenti spiriti" was beautifully sung with verve and subtlety and all the piano (soft) singing one could wish for. The cabaletta that followed was very impressive, as can be heard on this very clip, ending with a very long-held secure high C. The applause was tumultuous! And the rest of the opera followed in the same way, with heartfelt singing and acting that was a real treat! My birthday was a few days earlier. To me this was a birthday present! Thank you Mr. Choi! 😃
