Verdi - La Traviata / Stratas · Wunderlich · Prey · Patane

Giuseppe Verdi (Artist), Giuseppe Patane (Artist), Teresa Stratas (Artist), Fritz Wunderlich (Artist), Hermann Prey (Artist), Brigitte Fassbaender (Artist), Josef Knapp (Artist), Günter Missenhardt (Artist), Heinrich Weber (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 12, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Orfeo D'or
• ASIN: B0000044W5
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,532 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. La Traviata, opera

2. La Traviata, opera

3. La Traviata, opera

4. La Traviata, opera

5. La Traviata, opera

6. La Traviata, opera

7. La Traviata, opera

8. La Traviata, opera

9. La Traviata, opera

10. La Traviata, opera

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. La Traviata, opera

2. La Traviata, opera

3. La Traviata, opera

4. La Traviata, opera

5. La Traviata, opera

6. La Traviata, opera

7. La Traviata, opera

8. La Traviata, opera

9. La Traviata, opera

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wunderlich, excellent; Stratas, barely okay; Prey, thickly sliced ham; Patane, orchestra and chorus, fine., March 10, 2007

By 

Rob Pollock - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Verdi - La Traviata / Stratas · Wunderlich · Prey · Patane (Audio CD)

First, and this does not relate to quality of recording or performance, this set is very expensive in comparison with other fine sets such as the Tucker, Moffo, Merrill impressively remastered reissue on RCA.

However, Wunderlich is here undoubtedly a very good Alfredo, and his beautiful voice seems to benefit from the use of Italian. This may be confirmed by comparing the relevant extracts from La Traviata that he sang in German and recorded for DGG, with Hilde Gueden as his Violetta.

Stratas some years later recorded another and much improved performance of Violetta. This Munich live recording finds her in relatively poor voice, and not at her best dramatically - her stagey laughter is embarrassing to hear.

Herman Prey, usually an enjoyable singer, is here far from his considerable best. The Di Provenza aria is sung in a sobbing style that is unconvincing dramatically and lacking in legato. Contrast his version with Gobbi's or Merrill's and the absence, respectively, of dramatic conviction and smoothness of sound are immediately apparent.

The high price asked for this set, compared to others which overall have much more to offer listeners at more reasonable prices, could only be justified by the presence and excellence of Wunderlich. He is very well worth hearing indeed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a wondeful production, February 19, 2007

By 

Nancy Eckert (Bellefontaine, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verdi - La Traviata / Stratas · Wunderlich · Prey · Patane (Audio CD)

and the sound is really very good. I'm a huge Wunderlich fan and had I not known he was singing Alfredo I do not believe I would have recognized him - it's a WOW! I love Prey and Stratas, as well, my only real disappointment is Stratas' sloppy fiorditure in Sempre libera.... That said, let's remember that this is a live performance (which I always crave) and perhaps she'd not been feeling well... or something. At any rate, I rather much echo the sentiments of the other two listeners.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lovely Traviata that fills the hunger for more Wunderlich, March 26, 2008

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Verdi - La Traviata / Stratas · Wunderlich · Prey · Patane (Audio CD)

I think the other reviewers have covered most of the bases -- this Traviata finds Wunderlich actually singing in Italian (most German opera houses were slow to convert to original-language productions, the tradition being to sing everything in German) and it fills out the handful of complete Wunderlich opera recordings outside Mozart. Thanks to the good sound and all-round good cast, there's a lot to like here.

But calling it "the best" is going overboard. Glorious as he is vocally, Wunderlich's Italian is by-the-numbers; his isn't an idomatic Alfredo. Prey is even more lost stylistically, not to mention that he sounds as young as his "son"; there's a good deal of hamminess as well. Straas is the only lead singer who sounds to the manner born, but her portrayal is a bit generic and not as emotionally intense as she would later become in this role. Patane, admittedly skillful in keeping things together, is far from inspired in the pit.

I've tried to be objective, since this is an expensive La Traviata, even at Amazon Marketplace. Overall, I return to it mainly to bask in the luxury of Wunderlich's voice and Stratas's touching Violetta.