Verdi - La Traviata / Richard Eyre, Solti, Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, ROH Covent Garden
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Angela Gheorghiu, Frank Lopardo, Humphrey Burton, Leo Nucci, Peter ManiuraBrand: GHEORGHIU/SOLTI/ORCH
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 135 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-06-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Decca
Movie Reviews of Verdi - La Traviata / Richard Eyre, Solti, Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, ROH Covent Garden
Movie Review: Seeing is Believing
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first heard the CD version of this opera I thought, that it was good , but certainly not worth all the fuss. Then I saw the DVD and WOW!!! This performance is simply spectacular. When reviewing this work one must begin with Gheorghiu. She brings Violetta to life in a way that few performers have done before. First of all her singing is divine. She is in total control of her instrument and never falters. Second she can act an art that is often missing or downplayed in opera today She is seductive in the opening act, tortured and remorseful in the second, and looking very sickly in the final stanza.. Lastly, as many others have said she is very attractive, which is always a plus especially in this role. Too often audiences are saddled with Violettas that are wonderful singers but frankly are not credible as being the object of Alfredo's desire. This is not the case here. Gheorghiu's natural beauty is accentuated by the wonderful costuming. However for those who think that Gheorghiu is all about glamour, look at the final act where her beauty is sacrificed for a very sickly look. The one knock I have against her performance is not attempting to hit the high E at the end of the Folie! aria in act one. I do not quite understand why she chose to do this. Her voice was in stellar form and she is more then capable of hitting the note. None the less I understand the risk involved and have seen this note skipped on more then one occasion in this opera. However I must say that it would have been a fine exclamation point on her beautiful rendition of this aria.As for the rest of the cast, I must agree with one of the other reviewers in saying that a more lyric tenor then Lopardo would have been better. Alagna would be an obvious choice for me given his voice and his ability to compliment Gheorghiu's voice and vice versa. Doming would have been wonderful, however he is too old at this point for the role opposite Gheorghiu. Having said this, Lopardo does a credible job and does not detract from the performance though he is not spectacular. Nucci is fantastic as alfredo's father. His voice is in great form, and his performance is very refined. A wonderful choice for the role.
As for the rest of the production, Solti's conducting was rock solid as usual despite his advanced age. He was deeply involved in the production, and the orchestra showed it. The set was traditional, and the costumes were some of the best I have ever seen.
I must comment briefly here on those reviewers that rank this performance as a one or two star effort. These people are those that dislike Gheorghiu for whatever reason. They will never like anything she does because of a personal dislike for her, rather then the quality of her performance.
All in all this is a must buy.
More Verdi - La Traviata / Richard Eyre, Solti, Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, ROH Covent Garden reviews:
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Summary of Verdi - La Traviata / Richard Eyre, Solti, Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, ROH Covent Garden
Verdi's opera tells the tragic tale of Violetta, who is dying of consumption, leaves her beloved Alfredo at the request of his father, only to be reunited shortly before her death.Genre: Performing Arts - Opera
Rating: NR
Release Date: 19-JUN-2001
Media Type: DVD
Angela Gheorghiu is the definitive Violetta of her generation, the standard-setter against whom all other exponents of this role must be judged for the foreseeable future. Her affinity for Verdi's fragile, gentle-hearted courtesan is rooted in a fine balance of acting and singing skills. She looks right, her body language is eloquent without overstatement, and her voice is limpid, expressive, open to a variety of subtle shadings and used gracefully and intelligently. For this, her first Traviata, Covent Garden put together a production in 1994 that is solid and straightforward but otherwise unspectacular--a fairly subdued background against which her performance stands out all the more clearly. Though lacking the vocal splendor and personal magnetism of Placido Domingo, Frank Lopardo gives a sensitive performance as Alfredo, and Sir Georg Solti paces and accents this performance with a thoughtful subtlety that is relatively rare in his work. The result is deeply satisfying. --Joe McLellan
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