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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Prld - Orch Of The Opr House, Rome/Tullio Serafin | |||
| 2. Act I: Dell'invito Trascorsa E Gia L'ora - Chor Of The Opr House, Rome/Giuseppe Conca/Victoria De Los Angeles/Santa Chissari/Silvio Maionica... | |||
| 3. Act I: Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici - Carlo Del Monte/Victoria De Los Angeles/Santa Chissari/Silvia Bertona/Sergio Tedesco... | |||
| 4. Act I: Che E Cio? - Santa Chissari/Silvia Bertona/Sergio Tedesco/Victoria De Los Angeles/Carlo Del Monte... | |||
| 5. Act I: Un Di, Felice, Eterea - Carlo Del Monte/Victoria De Los Angeles | |||
| 6. Act I: Ebben? Che Diavol Fate? - Sergio Tedesco/Carlo Del Monte/Victoria De Los Angeles | |||
| 7. Act I: Si Ridesta In Ciel L'aurora - Victoria De Los Angeles/Santa Chissari/Silvia Bertona/Carlo Del Monte/Sergio Tedesco/Vico Polotto... | |||
| 8. Act I: E Strano! E Strano! - Victoria De Los Angeles | |||
| 9. Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui - Victoria De Los Angeles | |||
| 10. Act I: Follie! Follie! Delirio Vano E Questo! - Victoria De Los Angeles/Carlo Del Monte | |||
See all 22 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Act II, Scene I: Ah, Vive Sol Quel Core - Carlo Del Monte/Renato Ercolani/Mario Sereni | |||
| 2. Act II, Scene I: Di Provenza El Mar, Il Suol - Carlo Del Monte/Renato Ercolani/Mario Sereni | |||
| 3. Act II, Scene I: Ne Rispondi D'un Padre All'affetto?/No, Non Udrai Rimproberi - Carlo Del Monte/Renato Ercolani/Mario Sereni | |||
| 4. Act II, Scene II: Avrem Lieta De Maschere - Santa Chissari/Silvio Maionica/Ronaldo Giaiottti | |||
| 5. Act II, Scene II: Noi Siamo Zingarelle - Chor Of The Opr House, Rome/Giuseppe Conca/Santa Chissari/Silvio Maionica | |||
| 6. Act II, Scene II: Di Madride Noi Siam Mattadori - Sergio Tedesco/Chor Of The Opr House, Rome/Giuseppe Conca | |||
| 7. Act II, Scene II: Alfredo! Voi! - Carlo Del Monte/Santa Chissari/Victoria De Los Angeles/Vico Polotto/Sergio Tedesco | |||
| 8. Act II, Scene II: Invitato A Qui Seguirmi - Victoria De Los Angeles/Carlo Del Monte/Santa Chissari/Silvia Bertona/Mario Sereni/Sergio Tedesco... | |||
| 9. Act II, Scene II: Ogni Suo Aver Tal Femmina - Carlo Del Monte/Victoria De Los Angeles/Santa Chissari/Silvia Bertona/Mario Sereni/Sergio Tedesco... | |||
| 10. Act II, Scene II: Di Sprezzo Degno Se Stesso Rende - Mario Sereni/Carlo Del Monte/Vico Polotto/Victoria De Los Angeles | |||
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See all 20 tracks on this disc
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Being one of the most frequently performed and recorded operas, La Traviata could well feature several times in the collections of opera enthusiasts. This version of it came into my collection recently, at an absurdly cheap price, and I have happily listed to it many times.
In charge is veteran conductor Tullio Serafin, who leads off with a First Act Prelude that is the best I have ever heard. Victoria de los Angeles is soon heard amid the partying in Act One. She is not at her best here, somehow unable to be convincing as the accepted leader of what might be called the Paris “drop out set”. She is better a little later when teasing Alfredo. The frantic coloratura at the end of Act One requires her to produce high notes that are beyond her range, but this is effective nevertheless in suggesting Violetta’s wild resolve to live beyond her capabilities.
Act Two, always so moving in actual performance, presents the long confrontation between Violetta and Georgio Germont. The singing here is so glorious as to rob the scene of its dramatic tension. How could a father object to his son’s choice of companion when she sings like an angel? The singing of Mario Sereni, as Germont Senior, it must be said, is even better.
Act Three in this performance is not the most successful. The wonderful finale doesn’t quite deliver the knock out punch that Verdi packed into it. In Act Four everything goes well, after another beautifully phrased Prelude.
The tenor Carlo del Monte seems more concerned with vocalizing than conveying the conflicting emotions of poor Alfredo Germont. Some of his music is excised in this slightly cut version. The 1959 stereo recording was made in the Rome Opera House, one of my favorite venues for opera recordings. One hears plenty of space around the soloists’ voices, although they are closely miked.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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3 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Flesh-and-blood Traviata
5 Feb 2002
The perfect Traviata has yet to be recorded. However, if we agree that the most important role in this opera is the heroine, then this recording must be considered seriously. I find de los Angeles' Violetta to be the most charming and alluring on record. It is absolutely convincing that Alfredo should fall totally in love with her. De los Angeles presents a Violetta that is warm, intelligent, sensitive, and thoroghly feminine in the best sense. While Sills and Sutherland had a more efortless and exciting coloratura, they never had the range of color and expression that de los Angeles commanded easily.
Carlo del Monte, the Alfredo, and Mario Sereni, the Germont, have pretty much faded into obscurity since 1960. There is much to admire in them, however. Del Monte has a pleasing, masculine tenor (similar to Alfredo Kraus) that lifts this role beyond mere support for the soprano. Sereni is quite good in the Act II duet, combining buttery Merrill-like tones that end abrubply and become more harsh, befitting his conflicting emotions in this scene.
Serafin's conducting is perfect as it nearly always was and as we've come to expect. The Rome Opera Orchestra plays cleanly and warmly.
Carlo del Monte, the Alfredo, and Mario Sereni, the Germont, have pretty much faded into obscurity since 1960. There is much to admire in them, however. Del Monte has a pleasing, masculine tenor (similar to Alfredo Kraus) that lifts this role beyond mere support for the soprano. Sereni is quite good in the Act II duet, combining buttery Merrill-like tones that end abrubply and become more harsh, befitting his conflicting emotions in this scene.
Serafin's conducting is perfect as it nearly always was and as we've come to expect. The Rome Opera Orchestra plays cleanly and warmly.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Very good Traviata
30 Mar 2007
Generally this is a very good Traviata with all the principle roles taken by excellent singers. Victoria De Los Angeles has all the vocal attributes necessary to sing this role well - and she does, with much beautiful vocal tone throughout. My problem with her is that she just sounds too nice. Violetta is a courtesan, a lady of the evening. De Los Angeles sounds like purity itself, very appealing as a Mimi or Butterfly, but not really appropriate for Violetta.
In my opinion, Mario Sereni had one of the most beautiful baritones of the 20th century and it's very much in evidence in this recording. Not only is his voice beautiful, but it's one of the better characterizations of Germont pere that I've heard. Recommended.
I wasn't familiar with Carlo Del Monte, but he does very well by Alfredo and it was a pleasure to hear him in the part.
There are as many opinions of what it takes to be a great Violetta as there are recordings (actually probably more), so while I could recommend one or another, you'd probably disagree with me. But if you want to hear these particular singers in these parts, this is an excellent recording, but not the best overall recording of Traviata.
In my opinion, Mario Sereni had one of the most beautiful baritones of the 20th century and it's very much in evidence in this recording. Not only is his voice beautiful, but it's one of the better characterizations of Germont pere that I've heard. Recommended.
I wasn't familiar with Carlo Del Monte, but he does very well by Alfredo and it was a pleasure to hear him in the part.
There are as many opinions of what it takes to be a great Violetta as there are recordings (actually probably more), so while I could recommend one or another, you'd probably disagree with me. But if you want to hear these particular singers in these parts, this is an excellent recording, but not the best overall recording of Traviata.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Overlooked recording of Verdi's classic by Serafin.
29 Nov 2010
In this recording, Serafin did NOT choose Maria Callas as Violetta, and Callas did not, as a result, left any studio recorded La Traviata.
A great shame, but here the Serafin choice of Victoria de Los Angeles did not derogate from the requirements of the title role one bit.
De Los Angeles has a voice that may not sound 'perfect' these days to listeners, who most likely have heard and immersed in Anna Netrebko's modern version. That said, the voice of De Los Angeles has an element that is very special - the ability to 'endear' itself to listeners. Hence the great edge of De Los Angeles in roles like Cio Cio San, Violetta Valery, Manon...De Los Angeles can be a spinto soprano - she sang Tannhauser and other Wagnerian roles. She has a good middle range - she was a first rate Carmen. She can also negotiate the high soprano register with ease, hence here La Traviata is not one jot short of the vocal requirements of this role.
On top of the physical attributes, her vocal acting is supreme. You can measure her performance here with the later eminent performance of Monserrat Caballe. De Los Angeles IS the more convincing Violetta who has been plagued with consumption right from the start of the operatic right up to the final deathbed scene. This aspect has been much less well depicted by the voices with full and beautiful hues, like Sutherland, Caballe and Netrebko.
Maria Callas has that unique 'Violetta' quality to her voice - more husky, more vulnerable. This aspect is being shared by Victoria de Los Angeles, and to a certain extent, Mirella Freni in a later recording in studio of this opera. The deathbed scene is particularly affecting.
The supporting roles are less well known, but del Monte is a worthy Alfredo to De Los Angeles's Violetta, and sang with even more emotional committment than Carlo Bergonzi in the recording under Pretre's direction.
Serafin being Serafin, the conducting is superb, which ever way you choose to look at it.
A great shame, but here the Serafin choice of Victoria de Los Angeles did not derogate from the requirements of the title role one bit.
De Los Angeles has a voice that may not sound 'perfect' these days to listeners, who most likely have heard and immersed in Anna Netrebko's modern version. That said, the voice of De Los Angeles has an element that is very special - the ability to 'endear' itself to listeners. Hence the great edge of De Los Angeles in roles like Cio Cio San, Violetta Valery, Manon...De Los Angeles can be a spinto soprano - she sang Tannhauser and other Wagnerian roles. She has a good middle range - she was a first rate Carmen. She can also negotiate the high soprano register with ease, hence here La Traviata is not one jot short of the vocal requirements of this role.
On top of the physical attributes, her vocal acting is supreme. You can measure her performance here with the later eminent performance of Monserrat Caballe. De Los Angeles IS the more convincing Violetta who has been plagued with consumption right from the start of the operatic right up to the final deathbed scene. This aspect has been much less well depicted by the voices with full and beautiful hues, like Sutherland, Caballe and Netrebko.
Maria Callas has that unique 'Violetta' quality to her voice - more husky, more vulnerable. This aspect is being shared by Victoria de Los Angeles, and to a certain extent, Mirella Freni in a later recording in studio of this opera. The deathbed scene is particularly affecting.
The supporting roles are less well known, but del Monte is a worthy Alfredo to De Los Angeles's Violetta, and sang with even more emotional committment than Carlo Bergonzi in the recording under Pretre's direction.
Serafin being Serafin, the conducting is superb, which ever way you choose to look at it.
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