Rolando Villazon

They're so good together. Their voices complement each other so well. One of the best duet teams ever. By the way, their La Traviata DVD is "o so great"; check it out too.

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.

I thought the movie was good, but I was disapointed with the rating. I think the sexual scene was downplayed in the PG13 rating, i.e. "a little bit of sexual nudity"..I would not want any children watching that scene, it was obvious sexual intercourse.I think it should have had an R rating instead.
I was very disappointed with the rating

wonderful sound track, beautiful, melancholy, nostalgic, sad but sublime music to synchronize this unnecessary human tragedy.
i remember that i've seen an older movie exactly like this, but it's american soldiers and german soldiers doing the x'mas truce, drinking and singing the x'mas carols together on x'mas eve. why and how it became possible? because both countries still have the same religion, the same belief and the same god.
anyway, the premise of that and this movie is to deliver a message to you: enemy is what your president, your chancellor, your goverment, your generals giving to you. they point across the border, telling you that a whole foreign country out there and the all the people in that specific nation are your enemy. when these people decide to declare the war on that country, then the people in that country suddenly become your enemy. before that, you never knew that you've got an enemy, you'd never thought the people in that country would be your enemy.
funny thing is once the war is over, tourism would take over, and then you'd travel to that once you thought very unfriendly country and shake the hands of that country's people. if you go there in the holiday season, you'd say 'merry x'mas' to each other with smiles on your face.
but some of the countries that would never become your friendly nations and your friendly foreign people if you invade their country and force them to reform a new government and replace all the guys your government doesn't like. and they'd never say 'merry x'mas' to you, because they have different culture, different belief, different god, different book of god, different holidays. but regretfully, when you invade their country, you've totally destroy all the things they used to have. when all the good and bad are forcefully changed in the name of liberation by a foreign nation, there's no way they'd appreciate your holidays with respect.
this is what we have to learn from this movie.
you know why this truce could be achieved between german soldiers, french soldiers or american g.i.s?
funny thing is that under same god, same belief, same bible, same....how could it possible that they'd still become enemies to each other? two boxers with the same belief into the boxing bouts, they both cross themselves before each bout and wish god would help him to beat out of his opponent. why they fight each other? because the words 'in god we trust' are printed on paper money. the green $ sign pushes them to fight each other. maybe the cause of a war between nations with the same religion is the green $ sign too?
eh, by the way, if i sit in my living room, watching this movie, how could it possible that i would become enemy even to my neighbors, if i don't have a yapping dog barking day and night, bothering their sleep?
by the same token, how could it possible that i would have a whole region's countries' people who hate me to the guts and screaming 'death to america! death to americans!'?? how could i become an enemy to a country about ten thousand miles away if i couldn't even make an enemy to my immediate neighbors?
now, you tell me, i just want you to tell me. i don't want my government and its imbecile officials to tell me.

Philippe Rombi is a composer new to this listener and being so impressed with the film 'Joyeux Noël' encouraged purchasing the Soundtrack. Not a mistake at all. For once the entire music excerpts of significance are intact, even the artists who were guests, providing professional opera singers for the voices of the two cinematic actor/singers.

Rombi opens the film about WW I with very eloquent, quiet, lovely solo piano music, and very often he is so sensitive to the message of the film that just when the action looks as though the music should be of the Carmina Burana ilk, Rombi settles for orchestral Adagios. He has elected to use the carols Stille Nacht and Adeste Fidelis for the actor Sprink to sing and uses the voice of the gifted tenor Rolando Villazon to intone the music. To establish the relationship between the two opera singers, Sprink and Anna (Villazon and Natalie Dessay), he has them perform a duet version of Bach's 'Bist du bei mer' - the words of which take on deep meaning as the film progresses. When he has a moment for Anna to sing a solo, he writes his own version of Ave Maria for Anna/Natalie Dessay to sing. It is very lovely.

There are several 'tunes' written for the score - 'Fraternizers' Hymn' ('I'm Dreaming Of Home'), the theme for Anna and Nikolaus - which very well could endure long after the score and film disappear, they are that fine.

In all the score is very strong and well played, sung, and conducted. This is a soundtrack that bears attention for lovers of beautiful music. Grady Harp, November 06

Anyone know if this spectacular film will ever be released on DVD?

A wonderful soundtrack to an awesome movie.

I can't listen to it enough, Thank you Philippe Rombi

I absolutely love this album - the choice of arias is simply superb and tasteful. Villazon has poured out his heart into these songs, and it really represent a milestone in the stellar career of this young tenor.
Even so, I sincerely hope that he will fully recover from his general physical breakdown, and recap his vocal prowess with a redirected vision.
Not being unduely harsh, I have strong reservations for young Rolando assuming spinto roles. Listen to his aria from Simon Boccanegra. The technique is flawless. However, the timbre is not as dramatic as the typical Verdian tenor. He excels much better in Donizetti and the bel canto roles.
Nor do I think that JDF is the only tenor that excels at bel canto. Villazon is another superb bel canto interpretor.
For future roles, I think Rolando will do well in following Jose Carreras' repertoire instead of Placido Domingo's.

This disc is featured by Gramophone Magazine as "Editor's Choice" in Opera for the Month of July!

Since Villazon is one of today's top tenors, it is always nice to have a new album from him. This is an interesting collection with some well known arias and some little known.

Villazon has an outstanding voice, the best among the new tenors in my opinion. It is strong, does not stray flat or sharp, has depth and darkness when that is needed but can also be light and lyrical. His choice of arias on this CD provides proof that he is capable of playing and singing a wide and diverse range of operatic characters.

Imagine driving on an unfamiliar road in a very luxurious auto. Imagine that the car seemed to only want to go in overdrive. The experience would be thrilling but ultimately exhausting.
Listening to Rolando Villazon's recent release is like having that exhausting adventure. He seems to need to push his wonderful spinto sound well into helden territory. Why?
When I listen to such a superb voice, I want a feeling of being transported to another realm, not blasted into another reality.
Buy this album. It contains great singing. Be warned-don't listen to the whole disk in one sitting. If you're like me, you'll feel the need to quickly down shift.

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!!

When a new tenor comes onto the scene, why do we have to label him "the young Domingo," or "the new Pavarotti," or "the fourth tenor"? And why do we not talk about the fifth tenor, or the sixth tenor, or the seventh tenor, or ...? There are certainly enough tenors to go around. Reviewer Jeff Anderson wrote, "We are all too eager to crown the next GREAT TENOR ..."
Why do we not just say, "Here is Rolando Villazon, a fine young tenor with the potential for making his mark on the operatic world"?
This, which I believe is the first of his recordings, clearly shows that Villazon fits that description. His resume includes well received "Bohemes," "Rigolettos," and "Traviatas" at the Met, as well as numerous performances and concerts around the world.
Then, unfortunately, "too much, too soon" felled him for several months. Now, he is back on the trail again, hopefully better to manage his career.
Using this recording as a guide, there is surely the possibility of great contributions to the operatic world, IF he will schedule wisely. We hear the ringing high notes, the lovely head voice when needed, and an unusual volume range. I do agree, however, with top 1000 reviewer madamemusica that in a few of these arias, there is "a lack of discernable personality."

This is my third purchase of this cd, two as gifts to family. I can't add much to how others have described villazon's voice: somewhat like Domingo's (no surprise, since Villazon spent his teen years imitating Domingo's singing from records), _extremely_ good use of piano (listen his "E' la solita storia", and the beautiful way that he tails off the ends of some of the phrases), and elegant phrasing.

I was heart-broken that he was unable to perform at the Met in "Romeo and Juliet" in December; Roberto Alagna was excellent, but Villazon is even better. Until he recovers from his current problems (rumored to be depression), I'll have to satisfy myself with recordings such as this, and hope for his speedy recovery.

We can be thankful that the old guard of the opera stage has been replaced by a trio of youthful artists. Villazon along with Calleja and Florez makes a great addition to the world of opera.

Rollando Villazon can't fail to impress a listener. He is an enourmous breath of fresh air for people waiting for a new generation of Opera superstars to emerge. Those somewhat dissapointed by the somewhat ncomfortable edge to Salvator Licitra's voice, may take refuge in the freshness of Villazon.
I don't really want to ruin the magic of his singing, with caddy comparisons, but it is sufficient to say that he excellent. Many compare his to Domingo, to that I would say that Villazon has an ease to his top that Domingo never had, but perhaps lacks the focus and thickness of Domingo's lower registers.
Overall what hits you most about Villazons performance, is the induviduality of his interpretations and voice. The top of his voice has a ring and tone that sets his apart from the pack.
To my ear, he sounds at his best in the Mid Period verdi, where the cut of voice come through in the long high-lying passage, (expecially the cut from Traviata,
Enjoy this incredible singer

A very promising debut album with some excellent burnished tenor sound. To the reviewer who went on and on about Mr. Villazon only being in his 20's -- I hate to burst your bubble, but he was born in 1972, which makes him 33! And, by the way, the age of the singer is not a "huge" advantage; let us remember that some of our greatest singers didn't come into their element until their 40's (e.g., Flagstad, Milanov...)

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."

My personal preference "Tristan und Isolde" , like so many others, is the famous '60s Bayreuth recording conducted by Karl Bohm with the unstoppable Birgit Nilsson and a gratifyingly musical Wolfgang Windgassen, along with Christa Ludwig, Eberhard Wachter, and Martti Talvela. In other words, the sixties "A List". It is a performance that is simply mesmerizing in such a way that it has enthralled Wagner devotees now for over four decades, with no sign of its' legions diminishing. What is even more important about this recording is that the male lead, Wolfgang Windgassen, is an artist, whatever his virtues might be, who was never ordained vocally to sing the Wagnerian tenor roles he specialized in for over two decades. It is as good an example as one can make that an intelligent singer can sing for a very long time, even in a repertoire he wasn't exactly born to do. Windgassen, it seems to me, had the rare gift of being absolutely objective about his limitations, and by finding a way to sing this difficult music without ever overstepping those limitations, enjoyed a long, successful and I am sure gratifying career.

And this brings one to the Tristan on this present recording. Placido Domingo, it seems to me, truly understands his voice, its' strengths as well as its' limitations, and has seldom been tempted to step outside the boundaries he has set for himself. The reward for doing that is a career that is now in excess of four decades. FOUR DECADES! It boggles the mind.

And what is the downside of this rare intelligence? Well, it is obvious. There are certain roles he would probably have loved to sing that he simply felt were not wise for him to do. At least on stage. One of them, I am quite sure, was Tristan. I am sure he could have done the role on stage. I am equally sure it would have taken its' toll, as it almost invariably does. Domingo withstood the temptation.

And now, in the twilight of his career, he offers us a recorded Tristan that is really quite remarkable. He retains a great deal of the beauty his voice had when we all sat up and took notice of him 30 or more years ago. His vocal line is intact. The role, though relentless, is not high, which allows Domingo to avoid the precarious high notes any tenor in his mid-60s might be concerned about. And, of course, it allows him to sing a roll that concentrates its' range in that part of Domingo's voice that still works beautifully. So, here we have a Tristan sung very well, perhaps even the best ever recorded, at least in stereo. That said, Domingo doesn't quite portray the anguish required in Act Three. In fact, at least to me, he sounds just a bit light of voice, if you can imagine, in the final pages of his role. I think for a tenor to really pull off Act Three he needs stage experience in the roll. Listen to Windgassen. Or even the great Jon Vickers in the Karajan set. They have that extra something here which actual on stage performance gives.

Nina Stemme is quite fine here as Isolde. Admittedly, it is not possible for me to tell if she has been abetted by the recording engineers. I can only go by what I hear, and I hear a very fine artist taking measure of a difficult role, and, on all counts, equitting herself well. If this recording is any evidence, she should have a fine career ahead of her.

The rest of the cast is first rate. Pappano's conducting and the Covent Garden forces playing can not be faulted.

I found the digital recording, a first for "Tristan und Isolde", to be outstanding. It is very wide ranging, and I imagine fairs best on sound systems that are up to the digital demands of today.

This is not, as I have said, the first "Tristan" to be added to my collection. And it is certainly not the only "Tristan" in my collection. But it holds a very special spot in my collection, and I am thrilled to have it.

This is a fine recording and while one might not immediately connect Placido Domingo with Tristan, he is great. The DVD is an added reason to buy this one.

The exaggerated sound effects in this recording has one running back and forth to adjust the volume: the pianissimi are ridiculously low. It is quite exasperating in the end.
I'll stick to the Bohm version.

I prefer the golden age of singing (Flagstad, Melchior, Thorborg) to the golden age of recording! But this recording is a good one as far as the studio is concerned. I prefer voices who make the orchestra sound smaller!

Here at Amazon the Muppets' Big Bird could get five stars for singing Tristan, and that's fine with me. But few reviewers have given an accurate sense of what this new version from EMI is actually like. In the light of a great tradition marked by towering talents like Flagstad, Melchior, and Furtwangler, Wagner's masterpiece has acquired enormous weight and importance -- Tristan casts a long shadow over anyone attempting a new approah. Pappano has decided to counter with a lighter, fresher performance style, and he has cast the opera with a young-sounding Isolde, Brangane, and King Mark. Domingo himself has a comparatively light voice for the role, without the heft of baritonal coloring -- he's never claimed to be a true heldentenor -- while the Kurvenal of Olaf Bar lies somewhere in between the light baritones and heavier bass-baritones who have sung the part.

The initial effect of Tristan-lite is disconcerting. All the great orchestral passages operate at a lower temperature, with lessened emotional import. Pappano gets a gorgeous tone from his Covent Garden ensemble, and EMI provides beautifully clear, even ravishing sonics. When climxes arrive, they are propulsive and exciting. Yet Tristan has clearly shrunk in scale, and the effect can be too off-hand. Our characters don't love and die with cosmic significance -- perhaps modern listeners are more comfortable with less.

The two women startle by being so much less intense than their predecessors. As Isolde, Nina Stemme delivers her curse in Act I more out of pique than rage, and the Brangane of Mihoko Fujimura is merely having a bad day. It's unfortunate, also, that their voices sound so alike that I could sometimes not tell who was singing. On the male side, Rene Pape stands out as the preeminent German bass of the day, and his Marke is vocally splendid without, however, reaching any real depth of anguish and betrayal. Olaf Bar looks like a mistake on paper, given his well-publicized voal problems, but in practice he is an extremely artful, interesting Kurvenal and applies his skill as a lieder singer to great effect.

As for Domingo himself, it came as a relief to me when he made his first entrance -- he alone sounds as if Tristan deeply matters, as if this will be a searing, cathartic tragedy. His German is much improved, and the voice holds together extremely well, with the most thrilling high notes I've heard aside from Ben Heppner's. I think the reviewer who calls this bel canto singing is stretching, but there's no doubt that Domingo, without attempting a German singing style, possesses enormous power. I hear no signs of age whatever. Since he is the raison d'etre for the whole enterprise, I went immediately to Act III, which belongs to Tristan and which must convey the most profound suffering that transforms the ecstasy of unbounded desire.

It is here that Domingo comes into his own as an artist. His Parsifal on stage is enormously moving, and so is his dying Tristan. He's not the tortured soul one expects at first. This Tristan wakes up in quiet sorrow, still half dreaming, and as his anguish builds, Domingo makes every step emotionally believable. When he eventually arrives at harrowing hysteria and explosive ecstasy with the arrival of Isolde's ship, the effect is stunning. I have no hesitation calling Act III a great achievement and feel grateful to hear artists of the caliber of Domingo and Bar at their best.

As for the rest, you have to take it for better or worse. Thanks to Domingo, that means mostly for better -- the newest Tristan und Isolde is a noble effort that owes its existence to his selfless generosity.

P.S. -- for yars the Met has suppressed live recordings from its stage, but under the new management, many have suddenly appeared online at Real Rhapsody. They include a Dec., 1999 Tristan under James Levine with Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen as the leads. It's a formidable performance, one of the very best since the Nilsson era. Unfortunately, Heppner's voice gives out three times in the final act, to painful effect. He and Eaglen are in fine voice otherwise, at least as good as in than on their DVD issue.

This must rank among the WORST "Lamento della Ninfa" ever recorded. Dessay sounds vulgar. ...That's the word: vulgar. If you are interested in any reference recording of this work, choose rather Veldhoven ("Love & Lament") or Tragicomedia. The other items are not so bad, but then not so good either.

I got this CD a couple days ago. I can't stop listening to it. The emotion that Villazon puts into this music stops me from doing anything else while I just marvel at his tone and expressivity. He is certainly one of the great tenors of the day and this magnificent recording is a
must-have for any serious connoisseur of Spanish, Latin American, or operatic music. Domingo's direction is, of course, superb---but Villazon surpasses even Domingo's zarzuela singing when he was at his best. What a great voice! What a great recording!

PLACIDO DOMINGO WAS THE BEST ZARZUELA SINGER I HAD HEARD UNTIL I KNEW HIS DISCIPLE, VILLAZON. HIS PRONUNCIATION AND POWER ARE JUST FANTASTIC!

It is perhaps the best selection of songs that Rolando has edited.Really impressive.I have heard it more than 18 times and wont stop

Maybe once in a generation comes a tenor voice as rich and exciting as Rolando's. Unfortunately, such voices sometimes come in fragile packages. His recent appearance cancellations for "health problems," stretching out for almost half a year already and attributed by some to voice difficulties, give us worry that this voice, too, may not last. Nevertheless, this album is rich and fine, not only for the wonderful singing, but also for the introduction to the Spanish Zarzuela. The criticism by another reviewer of pitch wavering I think is mistaken; I see rather an adaptation to the spirit of the Zarzuela, where, as in much popular music (and the Zarzuela has always dipped generously into the field of Iberian popular song), absolute pitch often gives way to expression. The notes give a decent, if limited, background to the genre, and complete lyrics, in both Spanish and English, are given for all of the songs. The translations into English are uneven, frequently missing the inner intent of the original Spanish by a wide margin. Yet they give a decent reflection of the general meaning of the songs and would be helpful for a listener whose Spanish is wobbly. The album title "Gitano" is somewhat misleading in that only one of the tracks deals explicitly with a gypsy theme. But that is a quibble. In all, this is an album which will delight and enrich for many years to come. It belongs in every music library where good singing is treasured--and not just for the voice, but also for the glimpse into the too often obscured world of Spanish musical theater as represented by the Zarzuela.

Villazon voice brings back in this Gitano CD memories of those tenors of the 50's like Mario Del Monaco and Franco Corelli but this time with a Latin America essence. Placido Domingo direction and his special Spanish touch is felt throughout the recording. However it is Villazon's voice that makes one thrill in every piece of zarzuelas. His performance of Mi Aldea is the best I have heard so far though it is for the baritone role in Los Gavilanes. I have the CD in my car I and listen to it very often(do not recommend it because it could make you loose control of your driving) Every time I listen to the recording I get goosebumps. Even if you are not a fan of zarzuelas I suggest this CD because the exceptional voice of Villazon and the music will lead to Spanish music at its best.

I was so much in love with my old Traviata recording with John Pritchard, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, Carlo Bergonzi, and Joan Sutherland that I never thought another performance could even come close to it.
It did happen, even surpassed my old favourite.
A totally focused performance, a must if you love to play la traviata during weekend off slow breakfasts.
And if you can, also take a look at the dvd, the choreography is beautiful and eloquent in its simpleness

I LOVE this CD. Her voice is too beautiful, and the duets are fantastic. I get tired of the fancy pants opera listeners from Amazon reviews criticizing minute details. Seriously, who are they ? In the end, her voice is like an angel & the effect is quite pleasant. Close your eyes and enjoy :}

While there is certainly no shortage in recordings of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA score (Maria Callas, Beverly Sills and Monika Krause immediately come to mind), a new version is nevertheless always welcome. This is a highlights disc featuring Anna Netrebko taking on the role of consumptive courtesan Violetta Valery, and Ms Netrebko does a credible job.

One of the relatively-recent discoveries in opera, Anna Netrebko brings a great deal of fiery youth and vocal polish to the role of Violetta; she literally sprints through "Folie! folie" and "Sempre libera" at breakneck speed, scaling those delicious high notes with incredible ease, but never makes the music more flashy than it needs to be. Partnering her in the role of Alfredo is the talented Rolando Villazon. Villazon is the perfect anchor for Netrebko's vocal pyrotechnics, and together they create some palpable moments with the duet "Ah non piu!". The hand-picked cast also features Thomas Hampson as Germont, Helene Schneiderman as Flora, Diane Pilcher as Annina, and Salvatore Cordella as Gastone.

Carlo Rizzi leads the Wiener Philharmoniker, and they do complete justice to what is in my book Verdi's single greatest score. The complete score is also available [Deutsche Grammophon 477 5933], but the full flavour of the story, and most of the better arias, are all amply-supplied on this "highlights" disc.

[Deutsche Grammophon 477 5953]

Anna Netrebko has a rare voice - direct, unaffected, pure enough to stand without need for frills. This CD is a recording of her live opening night performance, it's truly a thrill and her tenor co-star matches her passionate delivery. Sound quality is good, for a live recording excellent. If you're not yet a Netrebko fan this will convert you.

Netrebko had the voice of an angle, sang like an angle and die as Violetta like a healthy soprano! Her voice had purity and power few can match, despite some lack of expressiveness in her lower register. As violetta she conveyed effectively strong passion. I hope to see as well as hear her in a DVD of the Saltzburg performance. If the Bonus DVD was an indication, this production should be unconventional and exciting.

On the slightly negative side she seemed to pause (breath?) at strange places and glossed over some notes every now and then. Perhaps these were to be expected in a live performance.

The CD was well produced with nice, clean sound. It was very good for a live recording. The singers and orchestra seemed to be at two different acoustical spaces.

Highly recommended!