Relentless is a good word to describe this production. Decker drives his singers hard. The acting may not be subtle, but at all times his wishes are carried out with fastidious detail. The action is played out on a bare acting area surrounded by a giant semi-circular cyclorama extending right across the stage of the Grosses Festspeilhaus. It is stark white, creating a sterile, clinical feel for much of the opera. Colour is used sparingly to create moods, but even the flowers that decorate much of the second act have faded by its conclusion. Then there is the red dress.

Anna Netrebko does everything asked of her by Decker. And she is asked to do a lot. With only one interval after Act 1, Netrebko is onstage for most of the evening. During this time she never loses focus, acting passionately and with great intelligence. Not many singers would be able to sing coloratura while zipping up a dress. She has every emotion you could wish for, from the tarty seductress in Act 1, to playful lover in Act 2 and the tear-jerking woman who realises that the end has arrived. However this Violetta never really gives up. Right to the end she believes there is hope. Into this potent mix we must of course add her singing. Her voice is not especially large, particularly when dealing with the cavernous spaces of the Grosses Festspielhaus, but she manages her resources well and seemed to grow stronger as the performance progressed. What particularly impresses is her ability to act with her voice, turning her great Violetta into something quite extraordinary.

While Netrebko dominates we must not forget Rolando Villazon as Alfredo. They have become the dream team of opera and you can see why. Their relationship on stage is electric, working beautifully together to make us believe totally in their relationship. He too does not have the largest of voices, but he certainly has all the notes and like Netrebko acts well with his voice. Together they offer such realism on stage, that it is simply impossible not be carried along with them.

In the face of this, Thomas Hampson's Giorgio Germont seems a little mannered, although less so than in a recent performance in Zurich. His gorgeous voice amply fills the auditorium and adds impressive weight to the performance, which has been dangerously frivolous up to this point.

In Decker's production all the remaining characters sink into oblivion, except for Doctor Grenvil played by Luigi Roni, who throughout the opera symbolises death, acting as a constant reminder to Violetta that time is running out. Next time I would suggest that she gets a new doctor.

In such circumstances it was inevitable that Carlo Rizzi and the Vienna Philharmonic were unlikely to offer any great new insights into Verdi's score. While they accompanied well it was a pity that the chance was not taken to reassess the score in light of Decker's production. Carlos Kleiber used to drive the score hard, and that was exactly what was needed here.

Peter Ruzicka, the head of the Festival, must be scratching his head. He has produced the biggest hit at the Salzburg Festival for many years, but is a return to the Karajan format what he wants to do? It seems rather obvious that great artists such as Netrebko, Villazon and Hampson can produce near perfect performances in the right conditions. It seems absurd to think that loftier artistic considerations might preclude that from happening at Salzburg. In the meantime we can all be very grateful for the red dress and the lady who inhabited it.