Description

La Traviata was recorded at what was one of Venice's most exquisite 18th-century opera houses, La Fenice, tragically destroyed by fire in 1996, and now rebuilt. This glorious house is where La Traviata was premiered in 1853. In this memorable performance with the orchestra and chorus of La Fenice and Balletto di Toscana, Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova takes the leading role of Violetta, the tragic heroine, persuaded by Alfredo's father, Giorgio, to sacrifice her happiness with Alfredo (Neil Shicoff) for the sake of family honor. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gramoohone raved over this and justifiably so!
Gruberova is inspired in this traditionally staged and beautifullysung Traviata. From the very beginning you know this is going to be something very special: with Rizzi in the pit and Gruberova and Shicoff on the stage in Act 1 singing, acting and conducting are beyond praise. And from there is just gets better and better until the final tragic ending. As much as I raved over Kathleen Battle in the recently released L'elisir, and my comments there are not about to change. But I am simply left without words to describe Gruberova's performance. From piano to forte, her timber is extremely beautiful, very moving and with her acting we arewatching a life story not a musicaldrama. Shicoff is in equal vocal estate and as always is very moving. There is no more sincere an artist than he. His Rudolfo with Cotrubas is equally compelling but that hasn't made it to DVD. That Royal Opera performance still remains languishing in the VHS vaults somewhere.. Zancanaro fills out the noble trio with splendor and vocal drama. Rizzi looks very young but his conducting is magnificent catching all the nuances and making no melody trite or inconsequential. This dvd adds to the growing list of must haves. I don't think the singers here can be overrated, especially Gruberova who is just simply stunning, beautiful, you choose the adjective.Listen, try and buy. Am I the only opera buff who thinks these recordings are worth having? Am I deluded?Nobody is reviewing these treasures. You can certainly own your opinion but let's here it. I can't be the only one impressed with these recently released opera dvds. Happy viewing and listening! ... Read more

Amazon.com

What distinguishes this excellent production of Puccini's MadamaButterfly from others is its intensely Japanese flavor. La Scala engaged aJapanese director, and he adopted many conventions of Japanese theater,including the dark-clad stagehands, whom the audience is supposed to not notice,a Zen-style rock garden rather than the profusion of blossoms usually seen, andthe use of red fabrics (ribbon and rug) to symbolize the blood in the suicidescene.

The singing and acting often has a Japanese restraint (unexpected but notunwelcome in an Italian opera house). The Japanese Cio-Cio-San (Hayashi Yasuko)and Korean Suzuki (Hack-Nam Kim) give a special authenticity to the casting. AnItalian singer, Ernesto Gavazzi, has the role of the slimy marriage broker,Goro, but this works quite well because Goro has adopted Western mannerisms.George Dvorsky is a convincing Pinkerton, Giorgio Zancanaro is a sympatheticSharpless, and the singing is good throughout, though seldom electrifying.--Joe McLellan ... Read more

Amazon.com

In its first video recording, the unfamiliar opera that follows the ultra-familiar overture is presented uncut--four hours of music, which seem shorter thanks to powerful conducting, virtuoso singing, and imaginative staging that often suggests more than it actually shows. Instead of scenery, a sense of time and place is evoked by projections of Swiss scenes on three large screens, and well-used props and costumes (of Rossini's era, not the Middle Ages where the action is usually set). The music is uneven but always effective and often splendid. The solo singers are good--particularly Chris Merritt in a very challenging role--and the orchestra and chorus are superb. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Released under a differnt lable in the UK
If you are a serious Rossini fan, then this UNcut Gugliemo Tell broadcast is a must have. Although this DVD has been out of print for at least a year... and very hard to find... (and yet not worth the $239 or such price tag I saw here on amazon) well simply go to amazon.co.uk and see that Opus Arte is releasing old LaScala broadcasts. I bought it and to my suprise.. they had gone back to the original source from RAI so its actually a nicer quality then the old Image DVDs. It is NTSC not the PAL as listed so it will play in the US. Hope that you enjoy its a great performance.

Stunning production, superbly conducted
This video is a wonderful document of a beautifully conceived production of this monumental opera. The use of enormous screens to project scenes from the mountains of Switzerland is superbly handled, frequently breathtaking, and the visuals always complement the mood of what is taking place on stage. (I am contrasting this to a dreadfully silly production at the San Francisco Opera that put the performers on a spinning turntable for no discernible reason at the end of the opera.) Musically the performance is very exciting, and competes well with the variously available studio recordings for overall quality, especially due to Muti's sensational conducting. All the singing is good, but the complex choral passages are particularly thrilling, and obviously thoroughly rehearsed. You'll finish this one hoping you can get a chance to see the same production on stage someday.

At Last! An Uncut William Tell!
Finally, to be able to see a full-length production of Rossini's final opera is a must for any full-fledged operaphile. The principals are equally wonderful and sing with a true dedication to the work. The production is modern and traditional at the same time using, as it does, motion pictures of the Swiss countryside rather than painted scenery. Even the ballets are included and they are charming, especially the one in the First Act. As with all La Scala DVDs, we get the quality of the original videotape with its somewhat fuzzy focus, yet the sound is much improved.

Poor picture quality
The picture quality is very poor. At times the scenes are so dark you can hardly see anything. The singing and music are very good, but this is a waste of the DVD format. ... Read more

Amazon.com

I Vespri Siciliani ("The Sicilian Vespers") dates from 1855, immediately after the composition of Verdi's three most popular operas, Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata. It marks a crucial stage in his artistic development but has not been very popular for various reasons: it was composed, in French, for a premiere in Paris, but is now usually sung in a slightly ill-fitting Italian translation; it is expensive to produce (including a lavish ballet, which was mandatory for Paris productions); and it marked a change to Verdi's later style, which has greater depth but less mass appeal. Its first video recording--visually lavish and generally well-sung--includes all the ballet music, which is often reduced or omitted, and (for reasons that are not entirely clear--maybe a preference for 19th-century costumes) updates the action from the 13th century to the Napoleonic era. Riccardo Muti conducts with his usual energy and polish, and he has a great orchestra and chorus. A production in French would be welcome, if (improbably) the right voices could be found. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Amazon.com

A brilliant production has been lavished on this relatively early and seldom-produced Verdi masterpiece. The story of various efforts (ultimately successful) to assassinate Attila the Hun after his conquest of Rome inspired Verdi to compose music of considerable energy. The theme of foreign powers who dominate Italy being punished was especially close to his heart. La Scala assembled a cast equal to his music's strenuous demands. The star, unquestionably, is Samuel Ramey in the title role, but he is supported by a first-class cast and a chorus and orchestra who are completely at home in this music. The fact that some of the less familiar Italian operas reached the DVD format so early in its existence is a tribute to Muti's devotion to unjustly neglected works. So is the power and precision of this performance. --Joe McLellan ... Read more