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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Although in some respects I prefer Gheorghius version with Solti, this is yet an other example of her wonderful and to my opinion very complete interpretation of Violetta. Vargas is a pleasure to listen to. Picture quality amazing.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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12 reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
La Traviata Looks So Good in Hi-Def
15 Oct 2008
Amazon Verified Purchase
I used to have the DVD of Decca version of La Traviata featuring Angela Gheorghiu. I liked it but this blu-ray provides a whole new experience with its great high definition vision and audio. Ms. Gheorghiu, as Violetta, performs amazingly in both singing and acting. It's great to observe all the details of the singer's facial expressions and gestures in hi-def. Mr. Vargas, as Alfredo, performs very well even though his acting is rather clumsy. The baritone, as the father, sings flawlessly. I thought the production was also excellent. I expected more from the Gypsy's dance/song but all in all this title deserves five stars.
This is my very first opera title in blu-ray and I'm more falling in love with blu-ray after watching this Verdi's masterpiece. I know I'll be watching it over and over again especially the first act.
Technically, it was shot in 1080i and features PCM 2.0 & DTS HDMA 7.1 audio track. No extras.
This is my very first opera title in blu-ray and I'm more falling in love with blu-ray after watching this Verdi's masterpiece. I know I'll be watching it over and over again especially the first act.
Technically, it was shot in 1080i and features PCM 2.0 & DTS HDMA 7.1 audio track. No extras.
25 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Lavish, well-sung Traviata that is lacking in that extra magic
3 Feb 2009
Amazon Verified Purchase
"La Traviata" is probably Verdi's most popular opera, despite the fact that the leading role, Violetta, is notoriously difficult to sing. I've seen Traviata in the house maybe 4 or 5 and have walked away unsatisfied each time. And it was always because I found the Violetta dearly wanting in some aspect.
On paper, this video, released by La Scala, should leap to the very top of great Traviatas on video. Angela Gheorghiu became a star in the 1994 Covent Garden production of Traviata and 13 years later, she's still one of the world's leading Violettas. Ramon Vargas has exactly the right type of voice for Alfredo -- warm, ardent, youthful (even though by now he looks rather portly and middle-aged). Roberto Frontali does no harm as Germont. The production is gorgeous -- very traditional, but not tacky. The costumes are lavish and capture the wasteful, decadent life of the Parisian demi-monde.
Yet Gheorghiu's Violetta has, unfortunately, not really deepened over the years. The 1994 production of Traviata was caught on video and Gheorghiu's Violetta back then still had an appealing air of youthful innocence, which added immeasurably to her portrayal. Her naturally smoky, dusky voice gave her Violetta the right amount of melancholy. Her snow-white skin and dark hair made her look disconcertingly like the portraits of the real life Violetta, a French courtesan named Marie Duplessis. Most of all, her Violetta was still a young lady who seemed to sincerely crave romantic love. The Alfredo (Frank Lopardo) and the Germont (Leo Nucci) were not on the level of Vargas or Filanoti, but Gheorghiu's Violetta was so compelling it didn't matter.
Thirteen years later, Gheorghiu's voice is still enchantingly smoky and dusky, but she's a Diva, and her portrayal has hardened. She has become a rather calculating performer. It's unreasonable to expect her Violetta to still have the youthful freshness of her 1994 portrayal, but I wish she projected more genuine vulnerability. Her grand gestures and facial expressions make it clear that she considers herself as Tragedienne, but in the end it's not particularly affecting.
There are positives to her portrayal. For one, she and Ramon Vargas have now sung together in quite a few productions and they have that intangible chemistry that was so lacking between her and Lopardo. And although her accuracy in florid passage may not match Maria Callas or Joan Sutherland, she gets through "Sempre libera" much better than most sopranos today. Moreover, her voice is not large, but to her credit she seems to know this and never tries to oversing. This is clearly a soprano who knows her vocal strengths and weaknesses, and seeks to maximize the former and minimize the latter.
Yet at the end of the day a Violetta should break your heart, not simply impress you. I found Gheorghiu more impressive than affecting, and so I don't think I'll be returning to this video anytime soon.
On paper, this video, released by La Scala, should leap to the very top of great Traviatas on video. Angela Gheorghiu became a star in the 1994 Covent Garden production of Traviata and 13 years later, she's still one of the world's leading Violettas. Ramon Vargas has exactly the right type of voice for Alfredo -- warm, ardent, youthful (even though by now he looks rather portly and middle-aged). Roberto Frontali does no harm as Germont. The production is gorgeous -- very traditional, but not tacky. The costumes are lavish and capture the wasteful, decadent life of the Parisian demi-monde.
Yet Gheorghiu's Violetta has, unfortunately, not really deepened over the years. The 1994 production of Traviata was caught on video and Gheorghiu's Violetta back then still had an appealing air of youthful innocence, which added immeasurably to her portrayal. Her naturally smoky, dusky voice gave her Violetta the right amount of melancholy. Her snow-white skin and dark hair made her look disconcertingly like the portraits of the real life Violetta, a French courtesan named Marie Duplessis. Most of all, her Violetta was still a young lady who seemed to sincerely crave romantic love. The Alfredo (Frank Lopardo) and the Germont (Leo Nucci) were not on the level of Vargas or Filanoti, but Gheorghiu's Violetta was so compelling it didn't matter.
Thirteen years later, Gheorghiu's voice is still enchantingly smoky and dusky, but she's a Diva, and her portrayal has hardened. She has become a rather calculating performer. It's unreasonable to expect her Violetta to still have the youthful freshness of her 1994 portrayal, but I wish she projected more genuine vulnerability. Her grand gestures and facial expressions make it clear that she considers herself as Tragedienne, but in the end it's not particularly affecting.
There are positives to her portrayal. For one, she and Ramon Vargas have now sung together in quite a few productions and they have that intangible chemistry that was so lacking between her and Lopardo. And although her accuracy in florid passage may not match Maria Callas or Joan Sutherland, she gets through "Sempre libera" much better than most sopranos today. Moreover, her voice is not large, but to her credit she seems to know this and never tries to oversing. This is clearly a soprano who knows her vocal strengths and weaknesses, and seeks to maximize the former and minimize the latter.
Yet at the end of the day a Violetta should break your heart, not simply impress you. I found Gheorghiu more impressive than affecting, and so I don't think I'll be returning to this video anytime soon.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Real Blu-ray Opera
23 Nov 2008
Amazon Verified Purchase
I was very impressed by this version. From the first minutes you understand that new era of high quality video has already become. The image is so three-D-mentional that it's even hard to see something similar in our every-day reality. Modern HD-cameras create the effect of physical presence in the scene. I saw this blu-ray at 52" plazma TV, and I felt that I'm in the scene, even can touch any object. It reminds me of my experience in IMAX-theaters.
Take into mind that creators of this production use plenty of luxury fabrics, authentic props and similiar things, and in the whole pay much attention to detailes of scenery. The ball scenes are truly of royal range.
The image of these materials has high contrast, deep colours, well-shaped textures of everything, shine of jewellery strikes your eyes, but little pity for singers and actors: you can see all their skin defects.
Quality of audio is also the same as they noted in features of blu-ray disc. Often in my blu-ray experience I face the problem that producers of so-called blu-ray discs just sell old recordings with standard audio-video quality on blu-rays without any improvements! Here all is real blu-ray quality.
I have already saw some operas on blu-rays, and think this is THE BEST!
Take into mind that creators of this production use plenty of luxury fabrics, authentic props and similiar things, and in the whole pay much attention to detailes of scenery. The ball scenes are truly of royal range.
The image of these materials has high contrast, deep colours, well-shaped textures of everything, shine of jewellery strikes your eyes, but little pity for singers and actors: you can see all their skin defects.
Quality of audio is also the same as they noted in features of blu-ray disc. Often in my blu-ray experience I face the problem that producers of so-called blu-ray discs just sell old recordings with standard audio-video quality on blu-rays without any improvements! Here all is real blu-ray quality.
I have already saw some operas on blu-rays, and think this is THE BEST!
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