Product Details

• Actors: Angela Gheorghiu, Ramon Vargas, Roberto Frontali, Natascha Petrinsky, Tiziana Tramonti
• Directors: Liliana Cavani, Lorin Maazel
• Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, Widescreen
• Language: Italian (DTS-HD 7.1), Italian (PCM Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Arthaus Musik
• DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
• Run Time: 132 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00361DR4Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,415 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #10 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Performing Arts
  • #45 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Special Interests

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational Bargain, April 9, 2010

By 

David Bower (Houston, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verdi: La Traviata Special Edition Blu-Ray - Exclusive Bonus Feature (Blu-ray)

I saw this recording listed and thought there must be some catch; La Traviata performed at La Scala on Blu-ray for less than $10 didn't seem possible. I'm delighted to report it's for real! This is a production of the entire opera on stage at La Scala recorded live with audience in 2007.

As one would expect, the production is first class; the chorus and orchestra do a fabulous job and the settings are worthy of La Scala. The icing on the cake is the singers; all major rolls are well sung and generally look the part. The tenor, Ramon Vargas has less of a stage presence than the tenor on my other recording of La Traviata, Placido Domingo, but one should not hold that against lesser mortals.

Since the performance is a live production, the audience response is recorded as well; using the DTS-HD Master Audio places the listener in the Teatro alla Scala di Milano at this 2007 production. It's pretty exciting!

The HD video is so detailed I believe I could have counted the dots in the material on Violetta's sleeve in the first act. I have an OPPO BDP-83 connected to my Samsung T220HD TV/Monitor and when playing it on this set up one might say there is too much detail to be seen. I'm sitting much farther back with my primary surround system and will freely confess that less is more in this regard.

If you enjoy Verdi, and La Traviata in particular, I highly recommend you get this recording. The sound track offers both LPCM stereo and the DTS-HD Master Audio and does a great job on both.

I have viewed some of the bonus features and had mixed feelings about them; I am something of a traditionalist and have problems with productions of Siegfried that have a chest freezer sitting in the background; but that's just me I suppose. The section from Giselle looked very interesting and seemed to promise a good performance of that ballet.

This is another one I'm delighted to have in my collection!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bang For The Buck, April 6, 2010

By 

Clyde H. Hedlund - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verdi: La Traviata Special Edition Blu-Ray - Exclusive Bonus Feature (Blu-ray)

I've spent big bucks for Anna/Rolando and Renee/Rolando Blu-Ray versions of Verdi's La Traviata, but this Angela/Ramon Blu-Ray version for under $10 is just fantastic. Plus, also included are bonus highlights of other performances. If you're willing to pay over $85 for an opera seat, you can't lose with this less than $10 Blu-Ray disc. With DTS 7.1, don't be afraid to crank it up and let your neighbors hear the music while you watch this lavish production. Go for it: push the button and order. Yes, you'll be amazed - it really is that good. Thanks Amazon for making this first rate opera so affordable and enjoyable.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Update: Great performance, DTS sounds fine with new AVR, April 24, 2010

By 

pm444 "pm444" (Okemos, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verdi: La Traviata Special Edition Blu-Ray - Exclusive Bonus Feature (Blu-ray)

Update 11/19/2011: I originally posted the review below in which I complained about the DTS surround track. Since then, I've bought a newer AVR which supports high-resolution audio such as the DTS-HD MA on this disc. My previous AVR didn't have an HDMI input, so I connected the video using HDMI directly to my HDTV, and used a digital optical cable for the audio from my Blu-Ray player to the AVR. This worked well for my other Blu-Ray discs, because the high-resolution audio was down-mixed to a a five-channel surround mix that sounded fine. For some reason, this Blu-Ray did not sound fine using that system, but it sounds great with my new AVR. The vocals are clear and no longer sound overwhelmed by the orchestra, and the orchestra sounds clear and well balanced.

So I am revising my rating from 3 to 5 stars, with the caveat that you *may* experience the audio issues I described below if you do not have an AVR that has an HDMI input for your audio signal. I believe that some Blu-Ray players also output high-res audio over multi-channel analog cables as well, so that should work too If your AVR does support high resolution audio, you'll hear an outstanding performance in excellent surround sound. I'm pleased to recommend this disc, which continues to be a real bargain.

Original review: I agree with the positive reviews about the performance, and the image quality of the Blu-Ray is excellent. Unfortunately, I found the DTS surround track to be very poorly mixed, with the orchestra sounding sloppy and often overwhelming the singers. The 2-channel stereo mix is better, which would indicate that the problem with the DTS was in the processing and not inherent in the recording itself. I at first suspected the problem I was having with the DTS might have been a result of my equipment, though I haven't had any similar problems with other opera Blu-Ray discs, but after reading a review on a Blu-Ray review website complaining about the same issue, it's clear that others have experienced it, too. Still, for $9.99, you get a great performance, outstanding picture quality, and if you're willing to settle for stereo instead of surround, an acceptable sound mix.

The bonus materials consist of trailers for other productions, and the menu to access these is sluggish and clunky, hardly the best way to convince buyers to shell out for more from this company. All in all, the whole disc strikes me as a missed opportunity.