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This season's Met opening (Sept. 29) brought Renee Fleming's much-anticipated Violetta, in the 1998 Franco Zeffirelli production of La Traviata. Though it was originally planned for Fleming to appear in the premiere of this production, she did not actually sing her first Violetta until last spring, with Houston Grand Opera. With all eyes and ears on the soprano, the performance to a large extent reflected her ladylike, somewhat cautious approach to the character. Carefully groomed in song and manner, with no vocal problems to hinder her, she lavished her attention on subtleties of shading. In Act I, instead of belting out the brindisi with the forced gaiety of a party ...