Customer Reviews

Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata [Includes DVD]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is what I wrote when I reviewed the full length opera. The same holds true for this abridgement of the opera's arias and duets. "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."
This disc is a generous 1 hour and 20 minutes in length. Perfect for the commuter.

In spite of many flaws, which are to be expected in a live recording, this is very exicitng new Traviata! I don't care about comparing this one to old recordings, if you want to hear Verdi sung by today's young, gifted and very engaging singers, this is the album to get. Callas, Moffo and Cotrubas were great, but what's the point of these endless comparisons. This Traviata can stand on its own. The tempi are on the slow side, but there's a feeling of great intensity, especially on this highlight disc, I like the way they put it together. I liked the complete opera recording too, but if you want to hear selection of great arias, this album works very well. Libiamo, Fors'e Lui and all the lyrical pasages are just great. Villazon is marvelous, so passionate. Anna Netrebko has such a beautiful voice and she puts so much drama into her singing, you don't have to see her to understand all the different emotions that Violetta is going through. Of course, these two singers look the part, that's just great, it's time we have such a good looking and talented pair to grace the opera stages. Hampson does not sound his best, but I liked him in Germont's role.
The DVD that comes with this album shows the Libiamo video, and I just can't wait for the DVD of this production! The other video for Donna Anna's aria is taken from Anna's previous DVD collection, but it's somewhat similar in style. This is a very nice bonus, and overall this is a great recording. I am very excited about this new generation of opera singers like Netrebko and Villazon. They may not sing technically perfect, but at least they make you feel something.

Product-wise, this is an excellent purchase for opera fans on a budget. Apart from the CD which, frankly, has all the important bits of the opera, it boasts a DVD that really carves into your mind how good a performer Netrebko is, and how electric her partnership with Villazon (skip the Don Giovanni music video, though: 'tis pretentious and gruesome.) The DVD also reminds the buyer that opera isn't just about standing around and singing: it is a performance art, after all, and Netrebko is a compelling, radiant Violetta.

I won't comment on the singing itself except to note that I was not a fan of Villazon's "Oh mio rimorso" (not a fan of Pavarotti's versions either: too self-indulgent.) I liked the emotional quality of it, but thought he had a tendency to smush words together. Dude, you're angry, not drunk.

Overall, an excellent choice if you haven't the cash to invest extensively.

While there is certainly no shortage in recordings of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA score (Maria Callas, Beverly Sills and Monika Krause immediately come to mind), a new version is nevertheless always welcome. This is a highlights disc featuring Anna Netrebko taking on the role of consumptive courtesan Violetta Valery, and Ms Netrebko does a credible job.

One of the relatively-recent discoveries in opera, Anna Netrebko brings a great deal of fiery youth and vocal polish to the role of Violetta; she literally sprints through "Folie! folie" and "Sempre libera" at breakneck speed, scaling those delicious high notes with incredible ease, but never makes the music more flashy than it needs to be. Partnering her in the role of Alfredo is the talented Rolando Villazon. Villazon is the perfect anchor for Netrebko's vocal pyrotechnics, and together they create some palpable moments with the duet "Ah non piu!". The hand-picked cast also features Thomas Hampson as Germont, Helene Schneiderman as Flora, Diane Pilcher as Annina, and Salvatore Cordella as Gastone.

Carlo Rizzi leads the Wiener Philharmoniker, and they do complete justice to what is in my book Verdi's single greatest score. The complete score is also available [Deutsche Grammophon 477 5933], but the full flavour of the story, and most of the better arias, are all amply-supplied on this "highlights" disc.

[Deutsche Grammophon 477 5953]

I LOVE this CD. Her voice is too beautiful, and the duets are fantastic. I get tired of the fancy pants opera listeners from Amazon reviews criticizing minute details. Seriously, who are they ? In the end, her voice is like an angel & the effect is quite pleasant. Close your eyes and enjoy :}

Anna Netrebko has a rare voice - direct, unaffected, pure enough to stand without need for frills. This CD is a recording of her live opening night performance, it's truly a thrill and her tenor co-star matches her passionate delivery. Sound quality is good, for a live recording excellent. If you're not yet a Netrebko fan this will convert you.

I was so much in love with my old Traviata recording with John Pritchard, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, Carlo Bergonzi, and Joan Sutherland that I never thought another performance could even come close to it.
It did happen, even surpassed my old favourite.
A totally focused performance, a must if you love to play la traviata during weekend off slow breakfasts.
And if you can, also take a look at the dvd, the choreography is beautiful and eloquent in its simpleness

Netrebko had the voice of an angle, sang like an angle and die as Violetta like a healthy soprano! Her voice had purity and power few can match, despite some lack of expressiveness in her lower register. As violetta she conveyed effectively strong passion. I hope to see as well as hear her in a DVD of the Saltzburg performance. If the Bonus DVD was an indication, this production should be unconventional and exciting.

On the slightly negative side she seemed to pause (breath?) at strange places and glossed over some notes every now and then. Perhaps these were to be expected in a live performance.

The CD was well produced with nice, clean sound. It was very good for a live recording. The singers and orchestra seemed to be at two different acoustical spaces.

Highly recommended!

This excerpts collection from DG's Highly publicized La Traviata with Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon is easy to get behind. One wants to promote and enoucrage two rising stars, yet neither is a complete artist by any means. Netrebko, like most Russian opera singers, sings Italian syllabically, a huge hindrance in terms of passion and conviction. Take any phrase that Callas etched in memory forever (like "Ah, dite alla giovine"), and Netrebko sounds as if she odesn't know what the words mean. Her colorature is fine, and the basic voice has a warm, velvety cast, like the other Anna who preceded her in this role, Anna Moffo.

Villazon possesses the right lyric tenor for Alfredo, lighter than Cura's voice, which was wrong for the part, but with a similar baritonal timbre. He can sing Italian, and he works hard (too hard?) to make dramatic points with his phrasing. But like Netrebko, he flags in energy and doesn't really seem to be a natural hero as Domingo and Pavarotti were. He's a fine workaday tenor trying to convince us that he's more, like Neil Shicoff or Frank Lopardo. The condcuting is routine, the only outright embarrassment in the cast being Thomas Hampson's wildly unidiomatic Germont.

It seems ANYTHING this phenomenon sings is a joy to listen to. An opera lover for 70 years, she is the best I have ever heard, and even more spectacular to watch. Even minor-key, slow sad Russian songs sound good when performed by Anna Netrebko. I grab anything I find with her. Too bad there isn't more available in this country.