La Traviata Recordings

[Barbirollians]

What is your favourite ? One of the old Callas sets is a must - the Ghione vastly improved when it turned up on Pearl with a young Alfredo Kraus - I should go for the Cotrubas/Kleiber of stereo recordings above all - the final Act is magnificent.

[richardfinegold]

What is your favourite ? One of the old Callas sets is a must - the Ghione vastly improved when it turned up on Pearl with a young Alfredo Kraus - I should go for the Cotrubas/Kleiber of stereo recordings above all - the final Act is magnificent.

Remarkable timing, Barbs. A neighbor of mine is downsizing and knows that I collect Classical lps, and the Callas landed on my doorstep last weekend. I've only listened to the first act--and I haven't heard this Opera for over a decade--but I loved it.

[Stephen Smith]

I have and highly regard the Cotrubas, haven't listened to the Callas Lisbon for some time now. Yes good timing, in a way - I bought the ICA issue of Callas/Rescigno Covent garden live 20 June 1958 for £5 in a sale at Banks in York on Tuesday. I say in a way, because I haven't listened to it yet!

[Richard Tarleton]

I should go for the Cotrubas/Kleiber of stereo recordings above all - the final Act is magnificent.

[umslopogaas]

I'm no opera critic, so I cant really comment on The Rough Guide To Opera's judgement of the Kleiber recording: "... worth hearing in spite of the singing.", except that obviously whoever wrote that is no fan of Cotrubas!

This was one of Callas's big roles and there are several recordings. John Steane reviewed all Callas's recordings in The Gramophone in 1997 and concluded that the one to buy was recorded in Lisbon in 1958, conducted by Franco Ghione. I have several other Callas versions, but not that one. The Rough Guide prefers her versions conducted by Giulini and Santini.

I have an LP version with Victoria de los Angeles as Violetta, conducted by Serafin, which is not mentioned either in The Rough Guide or the 2010 Penguin Guide; I guess it must not be available on CD. I'm a great fan of that lady.

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm no opera critic, so I cant really comment on The Rough Guide To Opera's judgement of the Kleiber recording: "... worth hearing in spite of the singing.", except that obviously whoever wrote that is no fan of Cotrubas!

I think you can safely ignore the Rough Guide. I remember leafing through it in the bookshop when it first came out, to get the measure of it, and it didn't even mention the Giulini Don Carlo, one of the great Verdi recordings.

I think the Kleiber Traviata came top of at least one BAL, ages ago.

I once heard Traviata in French, in the Paris Opera. Do not try that, unless perhaps if you are French.

[mikealdren]

I fell for the Kleiber when it first came out and also love the early Callas. I completely agree about Cotrubas in the last act.

I've recently re-listened and compared with the Toscanini and I have to say that Toscanini's conducting is fabulous making it a totally memorable performance. I thought the Kleiber recording was superb on LP when it was new, times have moved on and the CD sounds merely ok.

Mike

[Madame Suggia]

The Callas/ Ghione Traviata was my first opera on CD so it remains my favourite.

The Callas/ Giulini is rather special too.

[Barbirollians]

That Callas /rescigno live recordings is pretty special as well . All her recordings have something to say . Just a shame the 1953 Cetra recording stopped her recording it for EMI .

I do like the Angela Gheorghiu/Solti recording too . Do you remember how BBC2 cleared the schedules to show it ? That was only 1996 - can you imagine anything like that now ? Well unless our new DG suddenly brings opera back !

" Now in a substitute for the published programmes instead of Eastenders and Waterloo Road we are going over to the Royal Opera House for a performance of The Marriage of Figaro "

[martin_opera]

Callas, Cotrubas and De Los Angeles are all brilliant but there are other great sets around. I am partial to Mirella Freni's account with Gardelli on Arts - she has all the qualities for each of the acts and the voice is wonderfully even through the register. She also has Sesto Bruscantini as Germont pere. Pilar Lorengar gives a committed performance and I am partial to her vibrato - she also has DF-D bringing "work pointing" to the Germont pere role and the underrated Aragall. Perhaps the best second choice is Scotto and Votto with Bastianini and Raimondi. All are wonderful but Scotto is extraordinary. For my money I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the Ceccato version with Beverley Sills, Gedda and the brilliant Rolando Panerai. All the aforementioned are worthwhile owning. My main disappointments have been the Sutherland recordings which I just simply cannot enjoy as they are awfully bland, I have also grown out of the Caballe / Pretre recording and the Muti Scotto reading. Sadly these feature the brilliant Carlo Bergonzi who fo my moeny is one of the best Alfredos but Caballe and Sutherland just don't do it for me in this role. You'll also be hard pressed to find much virtue in the Te Kanawa CD and I do regret the Levine Cheryl Studer purchase.