Verdi - La Traviata (2006)

La Traviata

I'm super bias on this make of La Traviata. It's the modern world of opera; besides, it's my favorite opera. I've seen the stage La Traviata over 15 times in 7 different states, and no matter where I see it, I just can't get enough. Anna and Rolando are just extraordinary. Who needs props when you have two of the greatest performers, and their voices can't be compared to any other in this world. If you like modern and are willing to take a chance on a totally different presentation of opera, I would highly recommend this DVD. LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!!!! The BEST!!! October 9, 2008

Muy buena elección

Desde que escuche a Anna y a Rolando Villazón en Duets, me gustó la potencia de la voz de esta joven y guapa mujer. Muy rica en tonalidades, buenos logros en su incipiente trabajo como cantante de Opera y en esta producción muy moderna, muy ágil y ligera. Vale la pena ver toda la obra, el montaje tan simple y a la vez tan abierto al espacio donde se juega con la mente del espectador. Bravo por Anna, Villazón en búsqueda de su yo y alejándose de su Alter Ego Placido Domingo. Buen tipo, muy profesional, sensible y todavía nada de divo. Pareja sensual que vale la pena escuchar y ver... August 26, 2008

Comparisons are always unfair..............

....but at times they can't be avoided. Every new star evokes memories of the past...Anna Netrebko has frequently been compared to Maria Callas, and I will go ahead and provoke the anger of some by stating up front that Anna is better than Callas was the best day she ever saw. Now, I admit that, early in her career, she saw some good days; she had Style, and a fabulous voice. But, defective technique, and bad casting decisions, washed her up well before the age Anna is now. OK. Now I shall approach blasphemy...in Anna's heavier passages, I heard the merest hint of Rosa Ponselle. Anna is no Rosa. God forbid. Rosa was the greatest singer who ever lived. [Flagstad? Different genre]. She did Violetta later in her career; wonderful, naturally, but somehow "sick" and "vulnerable" are not words I associate with her. Soprano roles are varied, and Violetta is a meeting ground...the idea of Anna as Norma is painful, and Rosa as Lucia is laughable. And the the thought of Rosa, or Callas, doing this production is nauseating........

Which brings us to the issue at hand. A modern dress production of "La Traviata"? Why not? Opera is entertainment, and the idea is to get an audience to pay money. You always need a fabulous voice for Violetta, and, here, you need a gorgeous girl, too. Anna is PERFECT. She not only sings well, she looks lucious, and displays the full range of Violetta's emotions and conflicts. The red dress, the BIG CLOCK, the Grim Reaper [in the character of Dr. Grenvil]...all fabulous artistic touches. Were the bare feet to show vulnerability, to be sexy, or were the red shoes just uncomfortable? Some of her gyrations stop barely short of indecent, but they do stop. I'll digress back to comparisons; has there ever been a more beautiful Violetta? Absolutely....the late Bidu Sayao. She, for me, remains the ideal Violetta [and Mimi, and Juliette]. Alas, we never got to see her costumed like Anna. I would have stood in an ice storm to see her. Smitten? No doubt.

I've gone out on a limb this whole review; I'll go further....this may be the best "La Traviata" ever assembled. And I did say assembled. Villazon and Thomas Hampson are wonderful beyond words. Yes, there have been better practitioners of the individual parts...Alfredo Kraus, Lawrence Tibbett, Leonard Warren. And I already swooned over Bidu. But this assembly is MAGIC. If you don't believe me [or if the production offends you], try the CD version. You'll HEAR what I mean.

The technical side of this DVD is all we could ask...great sound and video. Carlo Rizzi's conducting, and the Vienna Philharmonic's playing, are standards of perfection. The audience puzzled me....they liked it, naturally, but there was more polite applause than raucous cheering. Well, people are different...a Met audience would have torn down the house. Maybe there's a bit of a New York Mets crowd in a Met audience....I've said enough; if you don't have this, get it. Period. June 29, 2008

Great singing and acting almost compensates for minimalist production.

Unlike other reviewers, I was put off by the minimalist, sadistic, Euro-trash production. That said, the singing and acting on the part of all three principals is fantastic! So, buy for the music, the acting, and the stars, but be prepared for minimalist sets and unmotivated directorial bits along the way. June 5, 2008

If You are not into Opera, this is where you start

Enjoy the music, enjoy the performance, no 19th century opera clishes here, just an amazing performance of Verdi's La Traviata.

Violeta as it was meant to be, this was the first time i saw Anna Netrebko I'm a big fan now, Rolando Villazon i'ts also an amazing tenor, and the chemistry between both lead performers it's incredible.

I also love the minimalistic stage with the giant clock a la Metropolis who resembles the time left to Violeta, gives it a contemporary look and contrast in a very interesting way, the mysterious character who represents the illness of Violeta it's also a semiotic value to this performance.

Be very open minded to this version, and you'll find yourself a gem with this opera. June 4, 2008

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