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Reviews (4)
10 May 2008
Terrific Traviata
1 of 1 found this helpful This is a magnificent performance. Gheorghiu's Violetta is wonderfully sung and so touchingly acted. No-one else compares with her in this role on DVD. She is sublime. If her colleagues are less interesting, it's because she dominates the stage with her itelligent and beautiful singing. Lopardo is a bit stiff as Alfredo - but suitably so for a youthful, shy young man. Papa Germont is well sung and acted. The staging is imaginative and traditional. Not especially spectacular but created with integrity and taste. Solti's conducting isn't especially fiery, but he reinstates all the cuts and performs the opera as written, earning much gratitude I feel.
A "library" set which will be hard to better.
10 May 2008
Touching Traviata
This is a good, honest account of Verdi's great opera. Zeffirelli has directed the opera many times (including on film) and his experienced interpretation is assured. I wasn't sure about the strange rotating plastc cylinder in the centre of the stage. In the theatre it was probably invisible and and a clever way of making scene changes cinematic. On film, it looks a bit out of place in the period furnishings.
On the musical side, things are most enjoyable. I warmed greatly to Scott Piper's sentively acted and cleanly sung Alfredo - he should be far better known. Bonfadelli has sung Violetta widely. She certainly looks the part and acts touchingly. And she really gives value for money with her singing, including a full throated E flat at the end of Act 1. The voice isn't especially lovely...but she does lovely things with it. Domingo conducts confidently, and all the other roles are adequetly taken.
I would recommend this to both newcomers to the opera and to those who know it and love it. It isn't a definite account - how can it be? the opera is open to all manner of interpretations. Gheorghiu at Covent Garden, for example, gives a fuller performance and has a more beautiful voice, and on balance is slightly preferable. But this is an intimate reading with it's own qualities. If you like traditional stagings and youthful singers, then you will enjoy this sincere and affecting performance.
10 May 2008
Trashy Traviata
This much hyped performance was something of a disappointment. The staging, while certainly imaginative, is laughable on repeated viewings, and would be a poor first introduction to this wonderful opera. Self indulgent, trashy and cheap, it tries to be contemporary but already looks ridiculously of its time.
Musically things are much better. Villazon's Alfredo is about as near to perfection as one can realistically expect. Netrebko's Violetta has her moments, but her use of words is not especially imaginative, her tone rather inflexible, her coloratura inelegant. A beautiful voice, certainly, but not as expressive as some singers in this role. Generally she sounds far too healthy, although the final act is touching. She does act up a storm, but the costumes and sets are too distractingly awful to allow one to concentrate!
If you like the cast, get the CDs and imagine your own sets...