GIUSEPPE VERDI: LA TRAVIATA / ROYAL OPERA CHORUS / ORCHESTRA OF THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE / Opus Arte

UPC: 809478010401

Playtime is 154 Minutes 

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ BOPU1040DVD
• Director ‏ : ‎ Richard Eyre
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Classical, Color, NTSC, Multiple Formats, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 34 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2011
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Renee Fleming, Joseph Calleja, Thomas Hampson, Monika-Evelin Liiv, Eddie Wade
• Subtitles ‏ : ‎ English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Opus Arte
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Summary

Renée Fleming, as the ill-fated courtesan Violetta, leads The Royal Opera's stellar cast opposite Joseph Calleja as Alfredo, with Thomas Hampson as his unyielding father. Richard Eyre's classic production brings one of Verdi's best-loved works vividly to life. with stage designs that evoke the pleasure-seeking whirl of Parisian society the glamorous setting for the doomed love of Alfredo and Violetta. Antonio Pappano draws from Verdi's score the full force of dramatic and melodic intensity that have made it one of the most enduring works of all opera. Recorded in High Definition and truc surround sound.

Sung in Italian with subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian

"Antonio Pappano takes charge of this revival, searching out the meaning of Verdi's score in a supple, sentient reading that sweeps you along." (The Guardian)

"At the age of 50, [Fleming] still looks very good in the role of the doomed courtesan...[she] sounds good, too, singing with consistent skill...There's a sincerity to Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja's portrayal of Alfredo which gives it more spontaneity than his American colleagues supply...Stronger than the vocals is the conducting of Antonio Pappano, which possesses a natural stylishness and fluency. " (BBC Music Magazine ★★★)

"I was sniffy about her first night but this DVD comes from later in the run, by which time she had found an uncharacteristic emotional freedom. She is still the prima donna playing the part, but the beautiful sounds she makes, especially in the Act One finale and the Act Two party, are well worth hearing, and the high-quality film-work puts us right at the heart of the action. " (The Financial Times ★★★★)

"... this is a sensible, believable, attractive presentation that is more in line with Verdi than with the idiocies of Regietheater...Vocally, [Fleming] is on good form at almost every turn... Calleja must sound authentic enough as an Italianate tenor for anyone...I always have the impression that [Pappano] works with the singers rather than challenging them to a duel. The chorus and orchestra respond fittingly to his direction. " (International Record Review)