Title: Marvellous vocal acting
Product review: 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.)
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