Anna Netrebko

This is probably my favorite cd by Anna Netrebko, (although her Duets
cd with Rolando is up there too)!
The "Barcarolle" from "Les Contes D'Hoffmann" that she sings with
Elina Garanca, is one of my favorites on the cd. Also , the Yiddish
lullaby, and the song by Dvorak! All the pieces are serene and beautiful.
You will want to keep this close by, to memorize by heart.
She just keeps getting better.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Behind the Vogue magazine cover photo and the fan-based DVD and promotionals, we have a vocal recital to deal with. The best thing about Anna Netrebko is that she isn't all image, lovely as hers is. She's bidding to join Angela Gheorghiu as a permanent opera star with a lasting legacy. One requirement in that ascendency is to release an album of crossover mass apeal while still remaining respectably opratic.

This refreshing CD sets out to accomplish that and generally succeeds. The listener is softened up with three operetta lollipops to start off. Like Gheorghiu, Netrebko was trained to have a Slavic voice. Both sopranos work hard to ovrcome the drawbacks of the Slavic sound, which is darker, more throaty and chesty than Western opera voices. I don't know if Netrebko has gotten all the way -- her Lehar and Kalman heroines sound as if they are from Eastern Europe more than Vienna or Paris. She has yet to find light-hearted charm.

"Depuis le jour" puts in a bid for comparison with famous accounts from the young Leontyne Price and Kiri Te Kanawa, who were knockouts in this aria. Netrebko isn't -- she lacks that thrilling, ethereal extension on top that makes the listener float away. But she's certainly lovely to listen to in her own right. The Barcarolle from "Tales of Hoffmann" suits her better; it's soulful and dreamy, a good combination for her temperament.

As the program unfolds, we hit all the right beats for a mass-appeal album but with sidelong glances to the more knowing. Richard Strauss's "Caecille" is one of his most sumptuous orchestrated songs, and here Netrebko is thrilling, beyond reproach even if her German is sketchy. And so it goes. "Solveig's Song" is close enough to Slavic in mood that it brings out her best side, as do the items by Dvorak and (naturally) Rimsky-Korsakov.

What does it all add up to? I think the public will continue to love their new diva, but eveen for us grumpy connoisseurs, who have been holding out a bit, there's a bright light. When Netreboko stops being all things to all people, what she actually is is a fine Slavic soprano with potential in French and German music. DG pushed Netrebko into Verdi and Puccini because that's where the limelight shines. In the end, however, they will do full justice by showing off her strongest suit, not her most glamorous (and profitable).

Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon are today's operatic royalty and hot [stage] couple. The attention is certainly deserved; they are MAGIC. Tragedy, comedy...Perfect.

This selection of duets is a great opportunity to see what all the fuss is about...my own favorites were the cut from La Boheme, the fountain scene from "Lucia", and the duet from "Romeo et Juliette" [shades of Sayao and Bjorling]. The Rigoletto, not as good...Anna's voice doesn't quite fit Gilda.

Opera had had several legendary pairings over the years...Villazon and Anna rank with the VERY best. This record has my HIGHEST recommendation.

here we have two of the finest stars in the universe.boy!
can they sing,gloriously so what a pair wonderful,wonderful,wonderful a first rate cd.

These two singers are marvelous, and they well deserve all the hype they are getting. This record is also excellent, with my only reservations being that the Manon duet falls a little short, just a mite below the recorded competition, which admittedly is fierce. Also I was disappointed that the Iolanta duet was shorn of its initial portion, which is really beautiful and should have been included.

Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon have made a duets album, which includes famous duets by Puccini,Donizetti, Verdi,Gounod, Bizet and Massenet with less well known duets by Tschaikovsky and Luisa Fernanda.

Each duet is full of passion and the excitement of hearing two singers who are perfectly matched to sing with each other. Their voices are beautiful and blend beautifully with each other.

They may not be perfect, but I didn't notice because I was caught up in the passion and beautiful sound.

I highly recomend this recording.

This is the second cd I have. It shows Anna in a role quite different than her Russian album. She is quite capable of holding her own with a talent equal to her own. Which is quite stunning. The only thing better is to see her in person.

I am very happy with the CD. I enjoy Anna's voice and singing. I wish to go to the Metropolitan Opera to see her.

This acclaimed disc is a collaboration of superstars - Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko, Russia's two top classical artists of the era.
But the image really is much bigger than the substance.
The lining up is strange - some songs, some arias, some scenes. If what it means is to show off Netrebko's singing talent in different fields, then the resounding response must be - so-so.
Generally, the singing is recorded too backward. The sound is dark (given that the singer does not possess an overly bright timber), and the recording done in the Mariinksy Theater sounds as though taken in the mid last century.
Apart from the technical flaws, both the orchestration and the singing verge on being cold in some, and indifferent in others. While it may be true that Ms. Netrebko strives to maintain a well-balanced and overall velvety quality of singing, her top-notes sound tight, and the tone color unamimously dull-hued. The over-stressed jawline resultant from a miss-placed rear-tongue position appear to be the crux of her problem in singing. The more passionate songs in the disc are, sadly, under-done with a marked technical inhibition (or more probably, inadequacy) on the part of the singer. And she is not one bit aided by the conductor and orchestra.
Overall, bordering on dullness.

As the title states,I am just starting to learn about opera,and I found Ms.Netrebko's singing on 'Russian Album' to be absolutely breathtaking!

For now,she is my favorite soprano.

One of the best and most delightful CDs I've purchased this year. Highly recommended. Don't be put off by a prejudice against "heavy Russian stuff". This young soprano's voice is slightly on the dark side for a true soprano (which for me at least is a plus), but is as agile, expressive and simply beautiful as anyone could wish for, or even imagine. I hope to see/hear her live someday.

Although I have purchased many books and cds from amazon over the past 10 years I have never felt compelled to review a purchase. Until now. This album which I purchased based on the reviews I read on amazon - is simply amazing. The artist has the most wonderful voice and I cannot stop playing this cd. (The only other cd that had a similar impact was the first album released by Shu Cheen Yu on the ABC (Australia) Classics label.) The "Russian Album" is destined to be a firm favourite for many years and I plan to purchase lots of copies to give to friends.

Juan Diego Florez has carved out an illustrious vocal career through distinctive artistry and a rare and wonderful high tenor voice.
All too often, however, he finds himself a 'lone voice in the wilderness' for lack of competent support from fellow performers.
His previous solo albums have full solo vocal tracks plus some scenes with choruses.
This new album showcases some duets with different partners: tenor, soprano, mezzo-soprano and baritone.
Even so, still, as the previous reviewer so aptly commented, Florez is pretty much the only person in the show.
In the past, famous singers all have their reputations garnered by partnering other equally competent singers: Callas/di Stefano; Corelli/Nilsson; Tebaldi/del Monaco; Domingo/Caballe; Carreras/Freni; Sutherland/Pavarotti...and nowadays, Villazon/Netrebko.
Who, then, would rightfully partner Florez in his bel canto repertoire? Markedly, Natalie Dessay and Diana Damrau.
At least, Florez's agent and Decca should seriously think twice in future albums to see to it that the partners are vocally on par with Signore Florez in the bel canto repertoire, as none of those in this album seems to be adept at, Domingo included.

If anything, this recital shows Florez to be in even better voice than in his last album "Voce d'Italia: Arias for Rubini" (see my review). Despite the beauty of Florez' singing there, a few top notes showed signs of strain; here, the voice is more easily produced, sweeter and more characterful than ever before. For me, the plum item is his newly minted account off that old warhorse "Una furtive lagrima"; he sings with power and delicacy, managing some heart-stopping diminuendi and maintaining seamless legato. The Italian version of Florez' calling card aria with the nine high C's is as thrilling as ever and the more interesting for being less frequently heard. The choice of repertoire is judicious: a preponderance of Donizetti but a very varied selection of his arias, then two excerpts from Rossini and one by Bellini ; five are solo arias and the other five are each with a different "guest artist". I cannot, in all honesty, say that I am as impressed by any of those five other singers as I am by Florez himself; Netrebko sounds very like Freni at the beginning of her "Puritani" duet but the voice lacks the older artist's delicacy and nuance - fine singer though she is. The Polish baritone Kwiecien and Patrizia Ciofi are both fine, if nothing special; Ciofi's attractively smoky, slightly breathy voice combines well with Florez in the romantic duet from "Linda di Chamonix", and Kwiecien sings ably but ordinarily, with a rather lumpen sound and a wide vibrato. I positively disliked Daniella Barcellona's rather clumsy, laboured singing as the Marchesa Melibea in the duet from "Il Viaggio a Reims" - her voice really does not match his. Placido Domingo, in the "bonus aria" from Rossini's "Otello" proves that, despite a little straining, his voice is a miracle of preservation. Perhaps inviting distinguished guest artists is a confirmation of Florez' standing in the operatic world today and perhaps Decca wished to avoid the charge of monotony which a whole disc of one beautiful, but intense tenor voice can provoke, but the fact remains that the raison d'etre of this recital is Florez himself, and the solo items are the best things on this CD.

If you buy the set with the bonus DVD, you have a not very interesting talk by Florez about bel canto in general, his fellow singers, and the specific repertoire he has chosen to sing on this disc, then two excerpts from RAI and Zurich productions - the former being, of course, THAT aria - this time in French, the second being, rather disappointingly, only the recitative before the big romantic aria "Cerchero lontana terra", not the aria itself. However, rather confusingly, the cover states that we are to have the aria, too -but it doesn't feature on my copy! (I would be interested to know if other purchasers' DVD's have the same flaw - or maybe it's just my copy. I don't think so, as the aria is not mentioned on the menu.) The trailers for the DVD's are quite good for giving a flavour of their quality, giving quite extended snippets, but it's the recital I wanted, not the extra fripperies.

In this recording, Anna Netrebko justifies all the kudos she has received in the past several years. I have several other CD's featuring her, and this one shows her range which is astonishing. I look forward to hearing her when she finishes her maternity leave and once again is on the stage or in the recording studio.

Gorgeous. Sexy. Pop-star charisma. And the voice of an angel...a strong one. This album was her debut seven years ago; she's done a bit of developing since then, and would now be well classified as a lyric soprano.

My favorites here were the excerpts from "Lucia" and "Manon", as well as "Musetta's Waltz". The Mozart really didn't fit. "Traviata" is her forte; ditto "La Boheme" [either soprano part]. I hope she stays away from some of the heavier stuff...Desdemona, Leonore [both], Norma. [Sleep well, Rosa; you're safe].

Anna is an opera singer with rock-star looks and drawing power...she was a work in progress seven years ago, and, really, still is. Grab this [and her duet disc with Villazon], and see what the fuss is about.

She's not a true coloratura, at least not a very good one. I have and love her "sempre libera" album. Her mad scene from Lucia (though she slides to the 1st top note) made me involuntarily think the word "magnificent!". But in this album (and on reflection, the other one too), she's just a soprano. A very good one, but she's no Tetrazzini or Mesple or Sutherland or Jo. She belongs in Verdi, not in Donizetti. On the other hand, if all you want is good straight singing (Rosa Ponselle), and don't care about the ornamentation and pyrotechnics, you will probably like this album. I was disappointed.

I'm not a big opera fan -- have listened sporadically for decades. Every once in a while I newly discover a singer, or a crop of them, and that spurs me to rediscover the wonders of the repertoire. Listening to Anna Nebrebko reminds me of the experience I had when Montserrat Caballe burst on the scene, which will date me for the knowledgeable reader (who will also realize I'm 8 or 10 years behind the present wave with the present singer). This CD presents warhorses as well as some repertoire that's both a little more arcane and more challenging, all from the lyrical and/or bel canto world. Although the performances are not perfect, every moment is gorgeous, and not just the singing. It takes me hours to listen to this CD as well as her "Sempre Libera" because each excerpt is some variety of showstopper. I generally prefer another species of soprano voice (Natalie Dessay), even in the repertoire here, but for those who love a dark, dramatic, and most often very agile voice, you can't go wrong with this collection. I dismiss quibbles about her pronunciation in non-Slavic languages; her dramatic sense does not flag, at least for me, and her vowels have a musical value that merely starts with the language. I highly recommend this CD.

Unlike the passion, intimacy, and beautiful tone Netrebko brought to the Russian Album, the Opera Arias miss these wonderful qualities. There's room at the top for a new operatic power couple and the glamorous Netrebko and rising Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon are desperate to seize. I confess that there is an element of conviction in Netrebko's voice, a significant figure in Russia for more than a decade. No sooner had she arrived on the world stage, her "hype" started describing her as the new Callas, which she isn't, and suspect will never be. She may have the temperament of Callas and her petulance, but vocally the comparison just is not there! In the magnificant arias from Mozart to Puccini, Netrebko shows a lack of being able to convey the utmost of subtleties, and injecting every aria with the personality of the character she was assuming. Netrebko crashes through everything, with a glorious voice capable of conveying the the justice of both dramatic and lyric arias, but with minimal vocal characterization. Netrebko is at times very capable of expressing genuine emotion in her singing as heard in the Russian CD with music from her homeland. Netrebko is capable of becoming a most formidable artist if she continues to learn; especially if she works hard on the Italian and French repertoire as she demonstrates in her Russian work, and with the watchful direction of the Marlinsky's Valery Gergiev. In that regard it's encouraging to hear she's preparing for an important Bellini run at the Met with Renata Scotto. Her Russian aria was fine, but her Gounod aria seems to wash away from its inner qualities, not helped by some disturbing French.
Netrebko is without doubt, an inspiring, extremely talented artist, and with the experience and maturity her voice will command in the future, she will rise to the occasion of becoming one of the world's greatest 21st century singers!

Because it's recorded so often, La Boheme has accumulated a host of fine recordings, but this new one, made in Munich as a concert performance in 2007, doesn't quite rise to the top. It's been hyped for the pairing of Netrebko and Villazon and critically sneered at because Villazon doesn't dare the high C in 'Che gelida manina' or the succeeding duet in Act 1. Listening on purely musical grounds, I think Villazon has proved himself at last: his is a fully realized, ardent Rodolfo who holds your attention from first to last. He's got personality, and his voice encompasses a lovely range of feelings.

Except for this one golden nugget, the rest varies from average to very good. I'd put Netrebko in the very good department, for her beauty, steady stream of appealing tone, obvious chemistry with Villazon, and for the bald fact that opera needs new stars to survive. As a convincing Mimi, however, she's rather blank at times -- as in her aria CDs, the Italian language isn't congenial to her; she simply sings one word after another. The bototm line is that for all her positives, Netrebko is essentially a Slavic soprano who will never be fully at home in Verdi or Puccini compared to so many great singers who have triumphed in their operas.

But is that so important? In the star-struck pairing of Alagna and Gheorghiu, she is the musical standout and he isn't; here the roles are reversed. As a tomantic couple onstage, Netrebko and Villazon will continue to be big box office (if the tenor recovers from whatever vocal problems he's been afflicted with, and the rumored psycholgical distress linked to them). As for the rest of this Boheme, conductor De Billy is professional and has his moments of tenderness, giving a nice shape to Puccini's romantic lingering. The two other principals, Nicole Cabell as Musetta and Boaz Daniel as Marcello, won't be making any career breakthroughs here -- she is sturdy and steady but lacks charm; he is considerably better but doesn't stay in the mind. Orchestra and recorded sound are first-rate.

I'm surprised that only seven reviews have preceded this one -- did DG's media blitz fail to attract interest? For me, this La Boheme will be memorable as a musical step up for Villazon, who shines twice as bright as anyone else.

This new version `La Boheme' is a risky investment. There are numerous top-notch recordings from first rate performers that the ante for the benchmark is really hard to surmount.
And in reality this recording does not succeed in surpassing some of its eminent predecessors. Rolando Villazon made a gallant effort in present Rodolfo, and his portrayal really is at par with other lyrical tenors in the class of Giuseppe di Stefano, but for the down-scaled aria in Act I. Even so, Villazon really stole the show in this CD recording with his poetic and passionate approach.
Others fare less well. There were high hopes for Anna Netrebko's Mimi, perhaps the only Puccini role that suits her lyrical soprano. While her singing did not disappoint in the basic aspects, for the more refined listeners it remain titled towards the crude side with regard to articulation as well as expression.
For the supporting roles, the most interesting bit of listening comes from Nicole Cabelle's delightful Musetta, who shows multiple auspices for a great Mimi, too. The voice is shimmering and elastic, signs of a truly great lyrical soprano in the making.

Of course Puccini's La Boheme remains one of the most beloved
and enduring verisimo works in the operatic repertoire. Mr Villazon
and Ms. Nebretko seem to have a very lovely chemistry and are
having a wonderful success with both their careers. Their singing
in these roles is a positive addition to their previous collaborations,
and hopefully Nebretko will deepen her interpretations as she grows
as an artist.
I wanted to comment on several of the reviews which stated disappointment
in Villazon not singing the high C in 'Che Gelida Manina'. It is true
that in the score, the high note in that aria done in the written key
is a high C. But it is one note. If all your interest is in this or any
musical work, is a high note, then I fear you are missing the point! It
is the entire performance that is important. Almost every tenor takes
that devilishly difficult aria down a half step. If you are nervous about getting the high C, then your entire performance is going to be full of tension. Pavarotti, famous for his top notes, eventually also took the aria down a half step after cracking on that note in a live telecast performance from the Met. Placido Domingo also always sang the aria a half step lower, there is however an amusing story about a performance at the Met in which the conductor thought he would trick Domingo by taking the aria in the original key without telling him. Domingo, being an accomplished musician, immediately realized what the conductor had done and got through the aria. But Domingo said he wanted to strangle that conductor afterwards!! I don't think that ever happened again with Placido.
As for the top C at the end of the duet O Soave Fanciulla, that note is not in the score. Puccini wrote the lower note for the tenor deliberately as a beautiful harmony effect as the lovers voices fade into the distance. Sometimes both singers in live performances and recordings will take the top note together, sometimes it works, sometimes not. I personally prefer the original way Puccini wrote it, it makes the ending
of the duet haunting as Puccini intended it to be.
I do think that this recording will be well received and finds both
of these promising singers developing into deeper artists. And I hope
Amazon readers will see beyond the high notes, that there is more in
classical vocal music than a top note, it is a performance that touches
one's heart and soul that is the most endearing and enduring. And this
recording in my opinion, does that. Anthony Plumer

As an ardent follower of Rolando Villazon, I found the latest CD disappointing. It does not stand up to the superior previous DVD and CD recordings he has made.

I wasn't waiting to hear a high C in "Che gelida manina" this day's most of tenors never sing the high C!!
The record it's very good, Rolando and Anna are in a good shape, but i don't know! I'm feel that they have some out of tones mistakes, probably they make this production to fast!!
Any way it's a very good version!!

The previous reviewer alluded to a bonus DVD accompanying this recital. I can't comment on it because it is not included in the particular edition I received upon delivery by Amazon. What I have is the recital itself, which, I suppose, is quite sufficient. It's a real stunner. To my ear, Florez' voice sounds even brighter and sunnier when he sings the "Fille" aria in Italian. The vowels are opened wider, and the voice itself seems to ingratiate itself even more vividly than it does in French. The "Puritani" duet is very, very well done, with Anna Netrebko singing a beautiful Elvira. We we get here is the traditional duet, which does not include the extra music included by Pavarotti and Sutherland on their complete London recording. The "L'Elisir d'Amore" aria "Una Furtiva Lagrima" is spun out like silk, with some new variations I've never encountered before. In fact, all the Donizetti selections are as well done as you are ever likely to hear them, with the duet from "Linda di Chamounix" (with the noted European soprano Patrizia Ciofi) proving that there's a lot more good music in this particular opera than merely the one showpiece soprano aria (made famous by Beverly Sills on her very first recording after she reached international attention). The bonus track contains the two-tenor duet, where Florez is partnered with Placido Domingo no less. Domingo, of course takes the lower line, which is appropriate at this time in his fabulous career (his continued vocal health continues to amaze me - I mean, at age 67, to sing this well, is a miracle), and he makes a grand account of it. Florez, of course, sails through this music like a race horse at the flick of a whip. I am a tremendous admirer of Mr. Florez, and I freely admit that I find him astounding. Unlike the previous reviewer, I do not hear any opaqueness or
hints of strain in his top notes. While I enjoy and repeatedly play the "Arias for Rubini" album of Florez, I do agree with the previous reviewer that this recital is more enjoyable. For anyone who wants to hear truly great singing of a repertoire long known for it's vocal difficulties, you can't go wrong with this. The music just bursts from this beautiful Decca release.

If anything, this recital shows Florez to be in even better voice than in his last album "Voce d'Italia: Arias for Rubini" (see my review). Despite the beauty of Florez' singing there, a few top notes showed signs of strain; here, the voice is more easily produced, sweeter and more characterful than ever before. For me, the plum item is his newly minted account off that old warhorse "Una furtive lagrima"; he sings with power and delicacy, managing some heart-stopping diminuendi and maintaining seamless legato. The Italian version of Florez' calling card aria with the nine high C's is as thrilling as ever and the more interesting for being less frequently heard. The choice of repertoire is judicious: a preponderance of Donizetti but a very varied selection of his arias, then two excerpts from Rossini and one by Bellini ; five are solo arias and the other five are each with a different "guest artist". I cannot, in all honesty, say that I am as impressed by any of those five other singers as I am by Florez himself; Netrebko sounds very like Freni at the beginning of her "Puritani" duet but the voice lacks the older artist's delicacy and nuance - fine singer though she is. The Polish baritone Kwiecien and Patrizia Ciofi are both fine, if nothing special; Ciofi's attractively smoky, slightly breathy voice combines well with Florez in the romantic duet from "Linda di Chamonix", and Kwiecien sings ably but ordinarily, with a rather lumpen sound and a wide vibrato. I positively disliked Daniella Barcellona's rather clumsy, laboured singing as the Marchesa Melibea in the duet from "Il Viaggio a Reims" - her voice really does not match his. Placido Domingo, in the "bonus aria" from Rossini's "Otello" proves that, despite a little straining, his voice is a miracle of preservation. Perhaps inviting distinguished guest artists is a confirmation of Florez' standing in the operatic world today and perhaps Decca wished to avoid the charge of monotony which a whole disc of one beautiful, but intense tenor voice can provoke, but the fact remains that the raison d'etre of this recital is Florez himself, and the solo items are the best things on this CD.

The bonus DVD has a not very interesting talk by Florez about bel canto in general, his fellow singers, and the specific repertoire he has chosen to sing on this disc, then two excerpts from RAI and Zurich productions - the former being, of course, THAT aria - this time in French, the second being, rather disappointingly, only the recitative before the big romantic aria "Cerchero lontana terra", not the aria itself. However, rather confusingly, the cover states that we are to have the aria, too -but it doesn't feature on my copy! (I would be interested to know if other purchasers' DVD's have the same flaw - or maybe it's just my copy. I don't think so, as the aria is not mentioned on the menu.) The trailers for the DVD's are quite good for giving a flavour of their quality, giving quite extended snippets, but it's the recital I wanted, not the extra fripperies.

Rolando Villazon and Ana Netrebko live up to the hype and prove worthy of their status as "opera's golden couple" in this thoroughly satisfying recording of Verdi's always relevant opera, La Traviata. They play their respective roles of the fallen woman and the man who fell for her better than anyone else in (very) recent memory. The recording is a document of a set of performances greeted with excitement at the Salzburg Festival in 2005 and as such captures both the excitement and some of the roughness often absent from studio recordings.

Villazon is in fine voice--think of Placido Domingo, but lighter and more agile. He is at his most exciting during moments of hot blooded passion, and his "O mio rimorso", save for some breathiness at the end, is red hot. Unfortunately,during musical passages which require a bit more vocal levity-- particularly during Act I-- he waxes a bit too dramatic for my taste. Still, on the whole, his performance is admirable.

Netrebko's performance makes this Traviata a true marvel. Though, like Villazon, she seems to be settling into the role during the first act--her "Sempre libera" seems a bit sloppy--she uses the full palette of vocal colors at her disposal throughout the rest of the opera. Her Act II confrontation with Germont is truly heartbreaking, alternating between stoic resolution and true vulnerability.

Thomas Hampson as Germont is an intelligent singing actor. His attempt to portray a father intent on separating his son from a woman of ill repute, not so much as a doting patriarch but as a sly manipulator is appreciated even though the actual stuff of his singing leaves something to be desired. Particularly in the upper register his voice tends to become hoarse or thin out altogether.

Carlo Rizzi leads the Wiener Philharmoniker with verve, even though one wishes some of the plush passages in the score were better articulates. One wonders if part of the problem-- particularly during "Sempre libera"-- has to do less with the conductor and his orchestra and more with the recording engineers or the limits inherent in live recordings themselves. At times balances seemed to be slightly off.

Still, if you can live with some balance issues and some on-stage noise this recording will no doubt be among the more interesting in your music library.

There is much in this recording to warrant repeated listening. Netrebko uses her rather dark and smokey voice to great effect. As vocal acting and intelligent singing Netrebko's performance is as good as anything I know since Callas -- but she is not quite up to Callas's effectiveness. Netrebko's voice and technique, however, are not up to the quality of the best recorded Violettas -- eg. Sutherland, Moffo or Caballe. Hampson as Garmont pere also has some very fine passages, though I have heard his voice used more beautifully. Villazon strikes me as a rather ordinary tenor, though he does sing with conviction and character. The orchestra and chorus are first rate, though the conducting is at times quirky and not nearly of the quality of the best recorded Traviatas. Overall, I am very glad to have this recording, though if I had to have just one, this would not be the one chosen. (I would be torn between Sutherland/Pavorotti and Moffo/Tucker.)

While hearing Verdi's La Traviata is almost always pleasant, this recording captures the magic combination of beautiful melodies, strong individual voices and most importantly the dynamism between Netrebko and Villazon. So often opera librettos challenge even the most romantic of listeners. However in this recording, the love and tragedy are both believable and beautiful.

I was sure that opera was dying - I was quite sure of the fact - until I heard this recording in a California record store. The soaring top notes and exquisite legato passages of the soprano... the heart-on-sleeve passion and real fire and butter-melting pianissimo of the tenor... good Lord, have mercy! Where had this incredible performance been all my life? Could I have possibly overlooked such a beautiful Traviata?

As I listened, amazed, I did not even consider the possibility that this could be something entirely NEW! Impossible! I just had to find out... "WHAT IS THAT?!", I almost yelled at the salesman, as I waited with breathless anticipation. "That's Netrebko and Villazón..." he said, and nothing more. That was enough; my operatic life has not been the same!

PLEASE, dear reader, forget the verminous quibbles of so-called reviewers that try to steer the masses away from this sensational recording on the grounds that Thomas Hampson - who is usually a pillar of baritonal strength - put in a less than inspired performance.

Poppycock! What ineffable twaddle! This opera is - from first to last - about pure, unbridled, uninhibited anger, grief and PASSION!

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!

The classical music industry is in serious trouble and those who are concerned with the continuation of same - count me in! - do NOT scoff at a recording as blatantly masterful as this! This is surely a La Traviata that would have made G. Verdi bend his knee, cross himself reverently and thank almighty God for making him an opera composer. The Domingo/Cotrubas and Sills/Gedda recordings are amazing... but THIS Traviata will be treasured for all eternity!

If you do not already own it (and shame on thee who are still unconvinced!), the time is NOW to completely disregard the frivolous scribblings of the incompetent many and purchase with profound confidence! A unique and inexpressibly satisfying recording; you will not understand how you ever made do without it!

A galaxy of bright and shinning "stars" for the twin-nebula star `Netrbko-Villazón.'

To Helsinki with the naysayers...

...and Viva la Opera!

--Some of the singers don't pronounce Italian so hot. Just by reading down the list, you can guess which singers I mean.

--The sound effects don't really add anything. I refer to Violetta's laugh before "Sempre libera," Alfredo's laugh before "De' miei bollenti spiriti," the handclaps in the gypsy chorus, and the screams in the party choruses.

--This is a small item, but there are cuts in "A forse lui," "Ohmio rimorso!" and "Grand Dio! morire si giovane."