Search - Mario Sereni, Vico Polotto, Giuseppe Verdi :: Verdi: La Traviata

A Wonderful, Little-known Traviata

B. J. Miceli | Boston, MA United States | 10/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am prepared to say that this recording of "La Traviata", one of dozens of recordings often made with very starry casts indeed, is my favorite (and I have heard many, many). The reason it is my favorite is, simply put, the performance of Victoria de los Angeles. In her singing, I hear a marvelous mixture of a glamorously shimmery tone which has depth and warmth as well, real emotional intimacy, and, so importantly, a sense of generosity and vulnerablity, all of which each Violetta, ideally, should have but which one hears so rarely in the part. I strongly believe that this type of voice, a real lyric soprano, is the proper one for Violetta. It has real beauty, grace and agility but, also, enough depth to convey the various facets of Violetta's ordeal.





In her first utterances, de los Angeles establishes Violetta as a beautiful woman and a vivacious one. She has charm. The line "si follegiava" in response to Gaston's interruption of Alfredo's declaration of love is delivered enchantingly, making it clear that Violetta is charming and warm, as well as the perfect hostess who will not allow her guest, Gaston, to feel embarrassed by his interruption. How lovely she is. This is a woman anyone could fall in love with. A small detail, but one which jumped out at me and which is emblematic of the whole performance.



Clearly, the coloratura at the end of Act 1 is a bit high for de los Angeles, but she does not embarrass herself and the beginning of the act is terrific, immediately establishing a rapport with listeners. She comes into her own in Acts 2 and 3 where her Violetta is revealed to be a most warm, caring, generous woman. She sings wonderfully here, with passage after passage of warm, vibrant, clear tone. Not too heavy, not too light.



The men are variable. Sereni is excellent, singing manfully and authoritatively. Del Monte is not great. Not bad, just not great in the sense of not being memorable. Let's face it. Alfredo is not a great part (aside from the brindisi) and next to a really fine Violetta, he pales by comparison even when sung exceptionally.



Serafin draws no attention to himself as conductor. He allows the music to speak and the musical drama to unfold. An octogenarian at the time, he is a link to Verdi himself (the maestro was first violin at the premiere, I believe, of "Falstaff"). What a wonderful contrast with today's superstar, ego driven conductors.



I recommend this recording. For my money, neither Callas, nor Sutherland, nor Moffo, nor Caballe, nor Sills match Victoria de los Angeles. She will delight you, charm you (are Callas and Sutherland ever charming?), make you fall in love with her, and, finally, break your heart. What more can you ask for?"

A first-rate, 1959 stereo "Traviata" from De los Angeles, Se

L. E. Cantrell | Vancouver, British Columbia Canada | 09/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"SOURCE:

Studio recording made at the Rome Opera House in July and October 1959 by EMI. It was first released in 1960 on three LPs under the Angel label. The analogue master tapes were digitally re-mastered in 1992 for issue on CD. In 2000, EMI issued the set on the ultra-budget "Double Fforte" label. To the best of my knowledge, this current re-issue uses the perfectly acceptable 1992 re-mastering.



SOUND:

Generally very good late 1950s analogue stereo that will offer satisfaction to anyone but ultra-finicky audiophiles who can't abide anything recorded earlier than last Wednesday.



CAST:

VIOLETTA VALERY, great shining star of the Parisian demi-monde who has an inexplicable taste for shallow, callow twerps - Victoria de los Angeles (soprano)

ALFREDO GERMONT, the shallowest, callowest twerp of them all - Carlo del Monte (tenor)

GIORGIO GERMONT, the twerp's respectable and long-suffering father - Mario Sereni (baritone)

FLORA BERVOIX - Violetta's friend and another demi-mondaine - Santa Chisari (mezzo-soprano)

GASTON DE LETORIÈRES, a young man enjoying the pleasures of Paris who first brings Violetta and Alfredo together - Sergio Tedesco (tenor)

BARONE DOUPHOL, high-titled lowlife - Vico Polutto (baritone)

MARCHESE D'OBIGNY, high-titled lowlife - Silvio Maionica (bass)

DOTTORE GRENVIL, a medical man who cannot hold off the inevitable - Ronaldo Giaotti (bass)

ANNINA, Violetta's maid - Silvia Bertona (soprano)

GIUSEPPE, a servant - Renato Ercolani (tenor)



CONDUCTOR:

Tullio Serafin with Orchestra e Coro del Theatro dell'Opera di Roma.



COMMENTARY:

Verdi's "La Traviata" seems curiously resistant to being definitively recorded. I know of three "Rigolettos," two "Falstaffs," a couple of "Otellos" and at least five "Il trovatores" that I would unhesitatingly recommend to anybody as near-perfect realizations of the operas. I can think of no "Traviata" that I could recommend without at least some small caveat.



This recording offers some splendid virtues, first among them being the Violetta of Victoria de los Angeles (1923-2005, born Gômes Cima). Although she is just a little short of fire in the first act, de los Angeles presents a Violetta of grace, beauty and pathos. Hers is a voice of simply gorgeous tone and if her doomed demi-mondaine has less flash than that of some other great sopranos, it is correspondingly more gentle, warm and lovable.



Mario Sereni was a baritone of the old school with an unusually fine and focused vocal technique. His career was mainly an Italian one but he turns up in several recordings--including one as Germont with Callas and a truly first-rate Enrico with Moffo's Lucia di Lammermoor. Here, the old pro offers one of the better Germonts on disk.



The caveat that must be offered before recommending this "Traviata" relates to tenor Carlo dal Monte as Alfredo. He sings exactly as one would expect him to do: indifferently. Somewhat to my surprise, some Amazon reviewers have rated him much higher than I ever would--all the way up to "adequate" as a matter of fact! Frankly, why any record producer ever saw fit to immortalize his lugubrious groans has always been a mystery to me. (Dal Monte's voice is the rock upon which de los Angeles' "Gianni Schicchi" also founders.) Fortunately for this set, Alfredo is probably the least significant tenor role set by Verdi set in any of his operas before young Fenton in "Falstaff."



Tullio Serafin, one-time assistant to Toscanini, but very much more in the true mainstream of Italian opera, is another old pro involved in this performance. The grand old man conducts a finely nuanced performance that a little slower--or perhaps a little more mellow than elsewhere, but I find no fault in that.



This was my first recorded "Traviata." I bought it on three LPs, more than forty years ago. I still have a lingering fondness for it. At the bargain price, this set with its fine soprano, baritone and its excellent conductor is absolutely worth a listen, despite the unimpressive tenor. Some, with considerable justification, might even find it their favorite "Traviata."



Because of Dal Monte, I can't give five stars to this set, but it certainly rates four very high-value stars."