VERDI - LA TRAVIATA - GHIONE EMI (LIVE RECORDING)
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La Traviata is an opera about a socialite called Violetta who discovers love in the form of the tenor Alfredo who she originally rejects. They fall in love ... Read review
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Advantages: Callas at her best, stylish Alredo Kraus, Mario Sereni brilliant Disadvantages: Rough sound, better version on Pearl label
VERDI - LA TRAVIATA - GHIONE EMI (LIVE RECORDING)
PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS REVIEW SO I CAN IMPROVE MY REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE!!!
La Traviata is an opera about a socialite called Violetta who discovers love in the form of the tenor Alfredo who she originally rejects. They fall in love and live together. Alfredo's father visits her. Violetta is eventually persuaded to leave Alfredo so that his family name is not tarnished (threatening ... ...this (he doesn't know of her promise with his father) and shames her in front of her friends. Violetta has TB and is dying. Alfredo comes to her and their love is rekindled just in time for her to die, the promise of future happiness coming to nothing.
This recording is very good. Callas is brilliant as Violetta, perhaps even better than with Giulini in 1955. She seems fully aware of the dramatic possibilities the role offers. She is not in ... more
VERDI - LA TRAVIATA - GHIONE EMI (LIVE RECORDING) PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS REVIEW SO I CAN IMPROVE MY REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE!!!
La Traviata is an opera about a socialite called Violetta who discovers love in the form of the tenor Alfredo who she originally rejects. They fall in love and live together. Alfredo's father visits her. Violetta is eventually persuaded to leave Alfredo so that his family name is not tarnished (threatening the future marriage of Alfredo's sister). Alfredo hates Violetta for this (he doesn't know of her promise with his father) and shames her in front of her friends. Violetta has TB and is dying. Alfredo comes to her and their love is rekindled just in time for her to die, the promise of future happiness coming to nothing. This recording is very good. Callas is brilliant as Violetta, perhaps even better than with Giulini in 1955. She seems fully aware of the dramatic possibilities the role offers. She is not in as good voice as in 1955 but she has really gotten into the role. Compare the confident voice she uses early on when she says that she does not need love and commitment and then later, her portrayal as the broken Violetta that sings "Ah dite alla giovine" - astonishing singing.The baritone Mario Sereni is underrated and 100% more subtle and sensitive than Ettore Bastianini in '55 although the other baritone has a voice which is probably the more beautiful. Sereni is at his very best in "Di prozenza il mar il suol" and "Di sprezzo degno" Kraus is very popular, personally I slightly prefer Giuseppe di Stefano with Giulini, but Kraus is the more subtle artist. Compare Kraus singing in "un di feliece eterea" with Di Stefano two years earlier. In '55 Di Stefano is more exciting, more extrovert and with less shading and pianissimo (soft singing). He is an ardent Alfredo. Then listen again to Alfredo Kraus. He may seem a little tame in comparison but the shapely phrasing and easy high notes are their own advocate. He is way better here than when he came to record the role c1980 with Renata Scotto who has even more wiry high notes than Callas does here. Kraus is at his best in the last act duet with Callas and in his scene "Ogni suo aver tal femmina". The sound of this recording appears to have annoyed some people reading some of the reviews on amazon. By live standards it is really not bad at all but is seriously inferior to a studio recording if you do not like background noise etc. It instead captures some of the excitement of a live performance. I have several live recordings by Callas, her Medea with Bernstein and her earlier Traviata with Giulini, and do not find the sound here that bad in comparison. The transfer available through Pearl is of a finer overall standard and buyers would find it worthwhile to search that record on amazon or ciao. If sound quality is a priority, however, I would say her studio recording in mono, or, for stereo, the Kleiber Traviata with Cotrubas seem to be the best bets. (The studio Callas set has just came out under the 'Naxos' label at bargain price). NB The callas studio set is not in the same league as this recording re Callas and the rest of the cast are pretty bad - best to listen to samples on amazon etc first before buying (Callas is still very good there but if you can live with the sound this set is way better)
TRACKLIST Disc: 1 1. La Traviata: preludio 2. La Traviata: dell'invito trascorsa e gia l'ora 3. La Traviata: libiamo, ne' lieti calici 4. La Traviata: che e cio? 5. La Traviata: un di felice, eterea 6. La Traviata: ebben? che diavol fate? 7. La Traviata: si ridesta in ciel l'aurora 8. La Traviata: e strano! e strano! 9. La Traviata: ah, fors'e lui che l'anima 10. La Traviata: follie! follie! delirio vano e questo! 11. La Traviata: sempre libera 12. La Traviata: lunge da lei 13. La Traviata: de' miei bollenti spiriti 14. La Traviata: annina, donde vieni?...alfredo?...per parigi or or partiva 15. La Traviata: pura siccome un angelo 16. La Traviata: non sapete quale affetto 17. La Traviata: un di, quando le veneri 18. La Traviata: ah! dite alla giovine 19. La Traviata: imponete...non amarlo ditegli 20. La Traviata: morro! la mia memoria 21. La Traviata: dammi tu forza, o cielo! 22. La Traviata: che fai?...nulla 23. La Traviata: ah, vive sol quel core all'amor mio! 24. La Traviata: di provenza il mar Disc: 2 1. La Traviata: avram lieta di maschere la notte 2. La Traviata: noi siamo zingarelle 3. La Traviata: di madride noi siam mattadori 4. La Traviata: alfredo! voi! 5. La Traviata: invitato a qui seguirmi 6. La Traviata: ogni suo aver tal femmina 7. La Traviata: di sprezzo degno se stesso rende 8. La Traviata: alfredo, alfredo, di questo core 9. La Traviata: preludio 10. La Traviata: annina?...comandate? 11. La Traviata: teneste la promessa 12. La Traviata: addio, del passato 13. La Traviata: largo al quadrupede 14. La Traviata: signora!...che t'accadde? 15. La Traviata: parigi, o cara 16. La Traviata: ah, non piu, a un tempio 17. La Traviata: ah! gran dio! morir si giovine 18. La Traviata: ah, violetta!...voi, signor! 19. La Traviata: prendi, quest'e l'immagine 20. La Traviata: se una pudica vergine
Advantages: The Performance Disadvantages: The Sound
EMI Callas Lisbon 1958 La Traviata? AWFUL!!! The performance is excellent, of course, but the transfer is one of the poorest that gramophone history has ever saw! This EMI release was made based on the tapes recorded via radio when the performance was broadcasted in 1958 by RDP (Radio Difusao Portuguesa - Portuguese Radio). The EXCELLENT news is that there is a brand new transfer of the EXACTLY same performance based not on those EMI tapes but by ... ...The difference is ABSOLUTELY HUGE! This new release made by the label "Pearl" using those tapes, sometimes makes you wonder if the performance was recorded in mono or stereo! I have both releases, the "EMI" and the "Pearl". Despite the excellent booklet included in EMI edition the Pearl Edition is far superior (specially in matters of sound). All in sum: the EMI sounds like a bad recording broadcasted in 1958. The "Pearl" edition sounds like you're ...
nunomiranda80 07.06.2008
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Advantages: The drinking song, the melancholy oboes Disadvantages: Long - approx 2 hrs
LaTraviata
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave
Conductor: Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra: Covent Garden Royal Opera House Orchestra
Performer: Angela Gheorghiu (Soprano): Violetta
Frank Lopardo (Tenor): Alfredo
Leo Nucci (Baritone): Gioggio Germont
Covent Garden Royal Opera House Chorus
Label: Decca
Released: July 1, 1995
Price: £25.99
Availability: At must good music shops
Giuseppe Verdi was born on October 1813 near Busseto in North Italy. Although Verdi composed in other mediums including sacred choral works, he is best known for his Operas. LaTraviata was composed in 1853. Translated as The woman gone astray, it was based on a play by Dumas (of The Three Muskateers fame). Set in Paris, it is an opera of true love.
Musical Synopsis
Act 1. The Parisian courtesan, Violetta, hosts a party in her ...
Advantages: Superb singing Disadvantages: Hard to find
When Verdi's immortal opera LaTraviata premiered in March 1853 at the Fenice, Venice, it proved a disaster. Verdi was philosophical about the outcome. "Was it the singers' fault, or mine"? he wrote to his friend Emanuele Muzio.
Perhaps there was good reason for the audience to pan the performance. Firstly, they objected to the modern costuming - the play on which the opera was based took place some 150 years earlier - but the costumes were contemporary. Then later, in Act 111, when Violetta was dying of consumption and was given merely a few hours to live, the audience erupted into an outburst of laughter.
This was due to the fact that opening night prima donna, Signora Salvini-Donatelli, who was rather kindly referred to as 'troppo properosa' - or significantly overweight - did little to add real credibility to the tragedy ...
Advantages: Beautiful music and vocals, classic tracks, Disadvantages: Specialised taste.
they could not exactly place it into an opera. It is a powerful track both musically and vocally.
Caro nomme(Dear name)
Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto has many pieces of music which will be somewhat familiar. This 1851 opera has a powerful dramatic theme to it.
La mamma morta.(Mother dead)
Andrea Chenier by Umberto Giordano is set in the French revolution and Maddelena tells of her mother's death and the loss of the family chateau
Vissi darte( I lived for art, I lived for love).
Tosca , Puccini's opera and heroine
Ah fors e lui (Ah perhaps it is him my heart desires)
Verdi's LaTraviata was first aired in Venice in 1853 and was not very successful. It is such a famous opera these days that it is hard to believe that it initially failed. Violetta meets Alfredo for the first time and wonders if she has found true love. Violetta ...
Giuseppe (Fortunino Francesco) Verdi (1813 - 1901)
Main Performer
Alessandro Maddalena (Bass); Alfredo Kraus (Tenor); Alvaro Malta (Bass); Laura Zanini (Mezzo soprano); Manuel Leitao (Tenor)
Orchestra / Ensemble(s)
Lisbon San Carlos National Theatre Chorus; Lisbon San Carlos National Theatre Orchestra
Date of Release
04/1997
Recomended Retail Price
24.99 GBP
Label / Distributor
Callas Edition / EMI
Pieces in Set
2
Running Time
2 hours 4 minutes
Genre(s)
Stage works
Stereo
Mono
SPAR Code
ADD
EAN
724355633026
Catalogue Number
556330
Work 1
Work Title
(La) traviata
Excerpt(s)
1. Prelude 2. ACT 1 - Dell'invito trascora è già l'ora 3. Libiamo, ne' lieti calici (Brindisi) 4. Che è ciò?; Un dì, felice; Ebben? Che diavol fate? 5. Si ridesta in ciel 6. È strano! È strano!; Ah, fors'è lui; Follie! Sempre libera 7. ACT 2, Scene 1 - Lunge da lei; De' miei bollenti spiriti; O mio rimorso! 8. Madamigella Valery?; Pura siccome un angelo; Bella voi siete; Non sapete quale affetto; Dite alla giovine; Un dì, quando 9. Morrò! La mia memoria; Or imponete... Non amarlo ditegli; Dammi tu forza 10. Ah, vive sol quel core; Di Provenza il mar; Ne rispondi 11. ACT 2, Scene 2 - Avrem lieta 12. Noi siamo zingarelle; Di Madride noi siam Mattadori 13. Alfredo! Voi!; Invitato a qui seguirmi 14. Ogni suo aver tal femmina; Di sprezzo degno!; Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core 15. ACT 3 - Prelude 16. Annina? Commandate?; Teneste la promessa; Addio del passato 17. Largo al quadrupede 18. Signora, Che t'accade; Parigi, o cara; Gran Dio! morir sì giovine; Ah, non più; Parigi, o cara 19. Ah! Violetta! 20. Prendi, quest'è l'immagine; Se una pudica vergine 21. Se una pudica vergine
Composer
Giuseppe (Fortunino Francesco) Verdi (1813 - 1901)
Genre
Stage works
Date Written
1853
Conductor
Franco Ghione
Orchestra / Ensemble
Lisbon San Carlos National Theatre Orchestra
Orchestra / Ensemble
Lisbon San Carlos National Theatre Chorus
Main Performer
Alessandro Maddalena (Bass), Alfredo Kraus (Tenor), Alvaro Malta (Bass), Laura Zanini (Mezzo soprano), Manuel Leitao (Tenor), Maria Callas (Soprano), Maria Cristina de Castro (Soprano), Mario Sereni (Baritone), Piero de Palma (Tenor), Vito Susca (Bass)
Opera Part(s)
Alessandro Maddalena, Alvaro Malta (Doctor), Alfredo Kraus (Alfredo), Alfredo Kraus (Alfredo Germont), Laura Zanini (Flora), Manuel Leitao (Messenger), Maria Callas (Violetta), Maria Cristina de Castro (Annina), Mario Sereni (Germont), Mario Sereni (Giorgio Germont), Piero de Palma (Gastone), Vito Susca (Marquis)
