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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
From the Back Cover
This famous 1994 performance of Verdi's romantic tragedy captures one of the most sensational debuts in operatic history. Singing Violetta for the first time was the young Romanian soprano, Angela Gheorghiu, whose remarkable interpretation reached the front pages of the world's press and led the BBC immediately to film the production. Equally notable was the masterly conducting of Georg Solti and director Richard Eyre's stylish staging. This DVD presents the definitive record of a momentous occasion.
Angela Gheorghiu: Vioretta Valéry
Frank Lopardo: Alfredo Germont
Leo Nucci: Giorgio Germont
Leah-Marian Jones: Flora Bervoix
Gillian Knight: Annina
Robin Leggate: Gastone
Richard Van Allan: Barone Duphol
Roderick Earle: Marchese d'Obigny
Mark Beesley: Dottore Grenvil
Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Georg Solti, conductor
