Verdi: La Traviata -- Royal Opera House [1994] (NTSC)
£11.60
A star is born - This is the opera that shot Georgiu to stardom. It s easy to see why, with her combination of acting, looks and singing. Violetta is a very difficult role, it places very different demands on the singer in each act. Georgiu isn t quite ideal for act 1, but after that she s really in her element. You can practically see the paternal pride in Solti s face as he watches his young protegee bloom. Surely the definitive Traviata.
Great singing, problem with the sound - Decca ought to consider whether using surround sound is really such a good idea. Surround sound tends to emphasise background noise. Add to this the tendency for modern systems to favour low-frequency sounds, and personally I find the scenes with chorus marred by a distracting clumping of feet and shuffling of bodies.
One of the most moving performances ever! - Within this production, the scene in Act 2 where Violetta (Angela Gheorghiu) says goodbye to Alfredo (Frank Lopardo) is, without doubt, one of the most moving performances I have ever seen! Angela Gheorghiu is simply incredible.
As good as it gets..pretty much - Some opera buffs of a bygone era relentlessly claim that Callas will always reign supreme as Violetta.Be that as it may, the truth is that is is hard indeed for us belonging to a new generation of opera lovers to imagine a better interpretation, vocally AND dramatically, than the one provided by Angela Georgiou on this very fine DVD. Good-looking she certainly is (beats Callas here by a slim margin, a man s humble point of view..) and her acting is supreme and utterly convincing as well. And as for her singing, her natural coloratura skills are very impressive indeed, although perhaps not as naturally flowing as they were for the Greek-American soprano. And her intonation is much more reliable (few would disagree on that one!).Lopardo does a good job as the young Germont. Not in the same league as his mistress, of course... but quite reliable most of the time.Nucci is good, well, actually more than good.The production is devoid of disturbing anachronisms such as punk rockers, AIDS-replacing-TBC-as-cause-of-death inventions and that sort of garbage. We are grateful for that.Solti is in very good form, not at all hard-driven but sensitive and precise at the same time.In all, as much as I admire the legacy of the great Maria Callas: Buy this DVD and meet a new generation of very capable and very convincing performers on the operatic stage. And above all: Meet Angela Georgiou in a role that suits her perfectly!
Perfect Violetta - This is the most thrilling and moving performance of this opera I have ever seen or heard. Angela Gheorghiu is heartbreaking and mesmerizing as Violetta. Maybe Verdi wanted his heroine to look like Gheorghiu on stage. She is simply perfect.One must recognize Sir Georg Solti s contribution as well.Overall, the production is magnificent. The sound recorded in 5.1 channels is a pleasure to listen to and the picture quality is also perfect. But the real gem in this production is Angela Gheorghiu.I highly recommend this DVD!