Customer Reviews

Verdi: La Traviata

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Opera, gratefully, more than any other music form gathers polarized opinions: some aficiandos prefer the old recordings to the new, the 'big' singers to the physically beautiful one somehow postulating that if the singers look credible on stage they simply can't be equally fine as singers, the recordings or performances that rise or fall on the lead and the ensemble makes little impact. Not having been fortunate enough to have been one of the lucky ones that witnessed one of the seven sold out performances of this LA TRAVIATA at this year's Salzburg Festival, I am left only with a live recording probably garnered from several performances to catch a glimpse of what all the clamor from the European audiences was about. But this is enough to believe that this is probably one of the most intelligent and musically correct Traviatas available.

Beginning with a sterling cast - the incomparably beautiful and musically gifted Anna Netrebko as Violetta, the equally handsome and gifted Rolando Villazon as Alfredo, and the always dashing and vocally distinguished Thomas Hampson as Germont - this is as credible as any Traviata staged. The staging in modern dress apparently worked in Salzburg but we have only a few photos in the 2 CD set to prove that. The orchestra is the venerable Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Carlo Rizzi, with no less than the Mozarteum Orchester providing the stage music. But the ingredients only serve as calling cards if the opera does not work as a whole, and here everything is in place.

Anna Netrebko has a very rich lyric soprano voice and has an extraordinary range through which she sings most comfortably. If she does not opt for some of the high climax notes like say, Sutherland and the 'coloraturas', it does not impair the beauty of her interpretation of the beleaguered courtesan and her fall into consumption. But Netrebko is never less than lovely here and the drama of her voice and interpretation are exemplary. Likewise, Rolando Villazon has a tenor voice that grows better with each performance. His Alfredo is all impetuosity, smitten lover, and jealous stag - and his singing is stunningly beautiful. Add the exceptional musicality of Thomas Hampson singing Germont with complete conviction and elegance, and this cast is as fine as one could wish.

If there are problems with this recording they are more focused on the podium where Rossi seems to favor brisk tempi a bit too frequently, not allowing the singers the space to be comfortable with their roulades. But remember this recording is from live performances and not a studio where every aria can be perfected with extra takes. This enhances the drama but does not give as sonorous a recorded sound as could be in a different hall or studio.

The true beauty of this triumphant LA TRAVIATA will be obvious if a DVD of the performance is released. Rarely has a stage been filled with this much beauty of sound coming from such magnetic and attractive performers. Netrebko and Villazon have a wondrous magic as was so very obvious in this past season's LA Opera 'Romeo et Juliette' of Gounod. Let's hope they pair often! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

I've been a fan of Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón even before they became such international superstars. One cannot resist to Netrebko's brilliant and caressing voice and to Villazón's passionate and thrilling performances. However, I still think this La Traviata, recorded in Salzburgo, shouldn't have been recorded for release. No, it's not a fiasco, for it contains some wonderful singing and does show why the partnership Netrebko-Villazón is so successful.

However, as we listen to the recording, we conclude that, as lovely as Netrebko sounds in elegiac parts like "Ah, fors'è lui" or "Dite alla giovine", she can be a much more colourful and technically effective singer than she sounds here. After a bad start at Act One, she joins Villazón in an ethereal "Un dì felice, eterea" and then sings "Ah, fors'è lui" with a very nuanced phrasing. Her "Dite alla giovine" is stylish, resigned and beautifully shaped, but it'd be even more exciting if, in the rest of the duet, she sang with that electrifying presence of Gheorghiu. Really remarkable is the end of Act Three, "Alfredo, di questo core", where Netrebko's full and rounded upper notes shine wonderfully. During Act Four, she succeeds with the recitative "Teneste la promessa", properly urgent and desperate, and sings a very committed and beautiful "Addio del passato". Obviously, Netrebko isn't still a completely polished and mature Violetta, because this was only the second or third time she sang the role in an international production. Besides that, she shows some signs of lack of breath during Act One (maybe due to the weird production!) and sings a not-so-exciting "Sempre libera". There, she lacked the bravure and spontaneous fioritura of artists like Sutherland and Callas. That's quite strange, since I have heard her singing "Sempre libera" in live performances and in concerts and she sang her coloratura brilliantly, including an amazing High E Flat. Oh, if just this Traviata had recorded Netrebko at her best vocal shape! I think we'll have to wait a little more to hear a complete recording with Netrebko at her peak (why doesn't DG record Manon or Roméo et Juliette with her?).
Rolando Villazón is, as always, an almost perfect Alfredo Germont. He has almost everything: a stylish singing; a polished and imaginative phrasing; a wonderful legato; an unique voice; and great dramatic skills. As it's been said in other reviews, his Alfredo lacks the elegance of Bergonzi, but it certainly has the captivating passion of Villazón. This great tenor is already proving he's really unique and can't be compared to any other predecessor (well, his tone resembles Domingo's a lot, but that's another story).
Thomas Hampson, frankly, is merely adequate as Giorgio Germont. Apart from a really bad choice in "Di sprezzo degno", where he tried to show the father's authority through some really unmusical ways, he offers an effective but forgettable Germont. His voice doesn't have the heft and creaminess of some of his predecessors in this role. Besides, his interpretation sounded too hard and unsensitive for my ears. Rizzi's conducting sounds fine, even if doesn't bring anything new to our ears.

I'd say this is a fine Traviata sung by singers who have great potential. If you already own a version sung by one of the legendary Violettas of the past and present (Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Angela Gheorghiu, Ileana Cotrubas, Virginia Zeani, Beverly Sills, etc.), you should experience this. You'll find some levels of pleasant singing, from good one (Netrebko and Hampson's duet in Act Two) to great one (almost everything Villazón sings and Netrebko's elegiac arias and "Alfredo, di questo core"). However, there are drawbacks, so you shouldn't know this masterpiece by listening to this recording. On the other hand, if you love good voices and has money enough to spend, you'll be pleased!

I have no idea what the detractors of this amazing recording were listening to. Can it be that some people just cannot sit back, close their eyes and listen to some glorious singing by two of today's most gifted operatic voices on our planet? Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon. There is a reason why after the opening, the Salzburg performances were quickly sold out with scalper's tickets bringing astronomical prices. Forget the "hype" which after all originates from the critics and not the promoters. Ms. Netrebko has enraptured me since I first heard her in 1998. At that time, Peter G. Davis, the music critic of New York Magazine wrote of the Kirov appearance: "The lighter sopranos showed more promise, in particular Anna Netrebko, whose agile, unblemished voice soared easily through Lyudmila's roulades and captivated all ears in "Betrothal in a Monastery". She also looks enchanting and creates real characters -- in Lyudmila's case out of practically nothing." He got it right. She is now 34 year of age and during the past 8 years, her voice has become stronger and darker but still able to effortlessly hit those high "C"s and above. I hope I have the pleasure in another 5 years to hear her voice when it turns its golden best. Senor Villazon is a perfect foil to Ms. Netrebko. Somewhat impetuous, his personality is magnetic and sparks fly when they sing together. Thomas Hampson may be blander but his voice has a lovely timbre and fits in nicely. It is remarkable that Deutche Grammophon patched together such a seamless recording from the best of all seven Salzburg performances. Let us not forget the Vienna Philharmonic. This all adds up to the best "La Traviata" ever recorded.

Having just seen Garbo's definitive Camille again, I had my appetite whetted at the prospect of the dream team of soprano Anna Netrebko, tenor Rolando Villazón and baritone Thomas Hampson on this latest recording of Verdi's "La Traviata". Based on the same source - Alexandre Dumas's play, "The Lady of the Camellias" - and under the direction of Carlo Rizzi leading the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic), the classic opera represents a prime opportunity to intertwine grand romantic melodrama with many of Verdi's most famous arias and duets. Even though there are choruses and set pieces, it is really more a chamber opera, and you need three powerfully sculpted voices to make this a momentous occasion. For the most part, it is though there are definite flaws. Captured last summer at the Salzburg Festival, the live performance has been immaculately recorded and sounds well-balanced and fulsome.

Cast in Callas's shadow as the passionate Violetta, Netrebko gives a vocally impressive performance while creating a poignant study of a woman given to equal parts great passion and deep love once she discovers renewed life with her lover Alfredo. I already had a sneak preview of her Violetta on her 2004 recital disc, "Sempre Libera". There she dexterously ran a wide-ranging emotional gamut to carry off the Act I climax, "E stano...Ah, fors'è lui...Sempre libera". Gratefully, even though she can get precocious, her performance here is better within the context of the opera where she has to convey a delicate balance between effusively romantic and shamelessly decadent. Despite her young years, Netrebko produces a surprisingly warm sound using her lower register to great dramatic effect, for example, on her burnished handling of the final aria, "Gran dio! Morir si giovane!". Her charisma is unforced even on disc as she exudes an aura of fragility and melancholy with each arching phrase and shimmering roulade. On the downside, her Italianate diction can get problematic at times, and there is a nagging wobble on the more challenging notes. Alternating between radiance and desperation, she still makes Violetta's last moments palpable. It's too soon to compare her fairly with Callas, Sutherland or even Angela Gheorghiu, but this is strong work regardless.

Villazón's Alfredo is even better, as he is a fearless actor unafraid to expose the young lover's often pathetic, obsessive character. In the thoroughly realistic dialogue before Act I's "Un di felice, eterea" his tentative attitude is charming, and he manages to be both persistent and thoughtful in the duet itself. Sometimes flamboyant in style with an extremely flexible voice, he spins out each phrase but shows an almost improvisational style in his shading and inflections. His opening in Act II, "Lunge de lei... De' miei bollenti spiriti...O mio rimorso" is viscerally powerful, and he handles his character's seething anger in the gambling scene with vocal conviction. Together, Netrebko and Villazón blend seamlessly, often magnificently, a strong example being the poignant "Oh mia Violetta, oh joy" in the last act.

My one casting disappointment is Hampson as Gérmont, who doesn't really make an impact until Act II. While he's generally a wonderful singer, Hampson sounds comparatively disengaged in his performance unable to complete a dramatic arc for his character from his individual scenes. This is a shame since a compatible dynamic among the three characters is vital to the success of the work. Unfortunately, he often misses in capturing the vital anger of Gérmont, most critically during the Act II duets with Netrebko, where she needs to respond to him with fear and resignation. By the time of his ending aria in Act II, "Di provenza il mar, il suol", he sounds downright exhausted. Rizzi's musical direction shows a fluent understanding of the opera, although there are passages that sound a little too lightning-quick. The exception is the death scene where Rizzi's leadership gives way to music that feels too lugubrious given the way the singers are performing. The Vienna Philharmonic and State Opera chorus accompany expertly and for the most part, unobtrusively.

I was looking forward to this Traviata, but Anna Netrebko and Thomas Hampson can do much better than this. Hampson is very stolid, and seems ill at ease in his role. Anna sounds wonderful, her voice is still as beautiful as ever, but her studio recordings of Sempre Libera and her earlier performaces as Violetta were more refined, with more precise coloratura, and this is a step back. Her Italian is not very good, to say the least, I thought she would improve by now. Only Rolando Villazon is really excellent, his passionate Alfredo is the highlight of this album.
My main problem is, why get this expensive set if we know that the DVD of this production is coming in a few months? This is not a bad Traviata, it is exciting in places, Carlo Rizzi leads energetic performance of the orchestra, but these singers are great actors, there's no point of listening to a CD when you could be watching them on stage...

I add my voice to those who are mystified by the poor reviews of this recording. I've heard many recordings of Traviata, including that much-vaunted Callas recording from 1955 with Guilini, and the Gheorgiu recording from Covent Garden with Solti, among others. This La Traviata is, far and away, the best I've heard.

The incredible Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is one reason this La Traviata is superior. The very first chords of the prelude are ethereal and poignant, and give a perfect start to the opera. Thanks to the VPO and the chorus, the excitement of the party scene, and the tension and drama of the gambling scene, come right through your speakers. When the VPO is called to be front and center, they are brilliant. When they are accompaniment, they play with perfect balance and mood. Rizzi does a brilliant job conducting this opera.

The principals were fantastic. Rolando Villazon was a perfect Alfredo. He has a glorious lyric tenor voice, sometimes almost a little big for Netrebko. I think Villazon hit the nail on the head with his characterization. His "Ebben? Che diavol fate?" was sublime. Villazon concentrated less on singing everything beautifully, and more on singing with proper intention. You can plainly discern Alfredo's emotional state, whether or not you have the libretto in front of you. His rage in the gambling scene confrontation with Violetta was chilling.

Thomas Hampson is one of the great baritones of our day. Like the others is the cast, he is not note-perfect 100% of the time. But, he is note-perfect most of the time, and you would be hard pressed to find a better characterization of Germont. His most important aria and scene, "Ne rispondi d'un padre all'affetto?" was brilliant.

Anna Netrebko is a Violetta for the ages. To those who say she muddied up her coloratura, I say have another listen. Every note is there, including all of the grace notes. She does this by controlling the tempi. There is a least one section where Rizzi is wanting to push the tempo. Netrebko wisely reins it in. Her tempo in "Ah, fors'e lui" is luxurious. The last notes of that aria are a lesson in breath control. Her "Sempre libera" is wonderfully exuberant. It was sans e-flat, but so what? The "Tenesta la promessa...Addio del passato" will give you chills and make your eyes tear up. Throughout this opera, Anna Netrebko was completely committed to her character and showed extraordinary musicianship.


This is a Traviata to treasure. Highly recommended.

I'm bewildered by the negative comments regarding this recording. I finally obtained a copy of this and I have absolutely fallen in love with it. I have never heard a TRAVIATA as youthful, ardent, visceral and sexy, yes SEXY, as this one. Ok, there's some strange things in the first act, for instance, the chorus balance is off and Rizzi loses control between the stage and pit a few times. But, in the course of a week, this has become a favorite recording of the work.

Netrebko's sound is gorgeous. She reminds me somewhat of the young Freni a la Russo. She's outgoing in the first act but introspect in the balance of the opera when confronted with real love. Villazon is a god here and although this role can be sung beautifully by others, I have never heard a more well developed interpretation of this role. They are both very convincing together and what a pleasure it is today to hear two young singers with personality in their throats. Their scenes have a desperate quality to them that no other interpretation has, as if they both understand how doomed their romance is. There's a pronounced dark streak of tragedy running throughout their entire performance that the others lack. Hampson has turned out to be a major surprise here as well. His vocal performance is complete and he develops Germont's character completely. Not since Gobbi's performance on the EMI recording (now available on Testament) have I heard any baritone really use his voice to act this role.

I'm even looking forward to the DVD release in mid June.

Putting the hype aside, this is one of the finest recordings of Traviata I've ever heard. The committment of the principle singers is just stunning.

In a generic way, Netrebko's Violetta reminds me of Joan Sutherland's - beautifully sung, with an exceptional technique (except that Netrebko takes extra breaths in the middle of some phrases) - but not particularly dramatically involving. Sutherland was celebrated in the role, but many feel that it was not really an ideal characterization. Chances are very good that Netrebko's grasp of the character will improve over the next few years, but unfortunately, given the depressed state of the classical recording industry, this may be the only recorded version of the role for this exceptionally promising soprano for some time to come. As undoubtedly ravishing as her vocalism and physical appearance are, Netrebko barely inhabits the character at this point in her career.
I feel that Alfredo is considerably less of a challenge than is the title character, but Villaz'n is the star of this show. Beautiful, varied singing, plus some dramatic "oomph" make his performance memorable - and in this audio-only recording, we don't have to see those eyebrows!
I'm a fan of Thomas Hampson, and in most ways I welcome his lyric approach to the role of the elder Germont (as opposed to the bellowing of many of his recorded predecessors). He does get into some vocal trouble at the end of "No, non udrai rimproveri" that continues with his "Ah, ferma!" in Act II, Scene 8, but this is only a temporary blemish in a highly satisfying performance.
I've never found any of the comprimario roles in this opera to be of much interest, so I won't discuss those performances here.
The more I listen to this live performance, the more irritated I get with conductor Carlo Rizzi. I have not listened while following the score, but many of his tempos are just way too fast. The splendid Vienna Philharmonic responds to all of his eccentric whims (and I certainly admire their clarity and precision), but I can only imagine how scrappy an average pit orchestra would sound at these speeds! (I've not heard his 1992 Traviata recording with Edita Gruberova as Violetta.) There have been other weird Traviata conductors (Aldo Ceccato in the Sills EMI recording comes to mind), but Rizzi is right up there to elevate my frustration level. The late, lamented Marcello Viotti was originally scheduled to conduct this Salzburg production, and Rizzi's excesses only amplify the curiousity as to what might have been.
I do wish that the complete score had been performed. I know it's not unusual for stage directors to make cuts for "dramatic purposes" but since this is a major release from a major label, the cuts are unfortunate. Violetta has just one verse of her Act I aria, Alfredo gets only one verse of his cabaletta "O mio rimorso!" in Act II, Scene 3, and the usual cut is made in "Parigi, o cara" in Act III.
The recorded sound is quite vivid (which puts those crazy tempos right in your face!) and there is minimal stage noise and no applause (I like applause on live recordings, but I know that many don't).
I give this recording very high marks for fresh, youthful, beautiful vocalism, partially diminished by Netrebko's generalized dramatics and by Rizzi's "get me out of here!" tempos.

I am saving one more star for the DVD, but I think this is a beautiful Traviata. Anna Netrebko's interpretation may be not for everyone, she does sound sick and not just in the last act but as they say, bad acting choice is better than no choice. Also, Hampson is disapointing. But Villazon is absolutely riveting! What a dream pair for this production! Forget about the hissing old recordings, let's not live in the past. Netrebko and Villazon are among the best of the currently performing singers, captured at their peak. I love Gheorgiou's Traviata from Covent Garden, this one is different but still great. This recording is best one to get if you don't have many other Traviatas in your collection, and it makes for a great appetizer for upcoming DVD and- let's hope!- more live performances.

I agree that the version (in CD) is a welcome addition to the long shelf lists of 'La Traviatas'.
I recently got this in the Salzburg Fest boxset, and upon listening to it, I sat myself down to a complacent smile.
The live recording was made back in 2005.
Most of the major singers are, to varying degrees, miscast.
The modern Violettas that shined (and still shining) are undisputably Angela Gheorghiu (Solti) and further back Ileana Cortrubas (C. Kleiber).
Both sopranos are lyrical sopranos of a different fach from the lirico-spinto fach of Anna Netrebko. Yes - people of late have come to wake up and realise that Netrebko is a spinto, not a mere lyrical soprano. With a full middle register, a ringing top, she has no qualms in negotiating the various arias and duets of Violetta Valery. What remains is her vocal characterisation. With such a full and healthy voice, it is much more difficult to express the timidity and stubborness, as well as the physical vulnerability of Violetta in the later Acts. While Netrebko succeeded in depicting a wilful, carefree, young and energetic Violetta in Act 1, in Acts 2 and 3 she is much less effective. In this respect, she was not supported by Thomas Hampson (in Act 2) and Roland Villazon (in Act 3).
Thomas Hampson is not a Verdian. He lacks the style, the timbre, the charisma of a Verdian baritone. His Papa Germont is neither strong nor authoritative, nor domineering. Indeed, he was indifferent. Rolando Villazon gave a gallant attempt at Alfredo Germont, but I hate to admit that while he is ardent and passionate in turn, giving whole-heartedly to the characterisation, he is also limited in terms of vocal technique, and very often resorted to shouting instead of singing. Alas, this is not expected of a major tenor in an international operatic festival like Salzburg.