La Traviata (Book and CD's): The Complete Opera on Two CDs Featuring Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda, and Rolando Panerai [With 2 CDs]

Very good book. Every song and ever note is there. This is my favorite opera and I had a ball singing along with the songs from the book. The only problem was that the songs did not hold titles, it was just a continuous flow.

The 2 reviews for this particular product are mixed. One reviewer is clearly in love with the quality of the recording and talents of the singers and the other says that this La Traviata is not his first choice. When you have Beverly Sills as an opera heroine, that should always be your first choice, unless you try the rest and finally decide to hear the best. This is without argument the best La Traviata recording and there are so many reasons for this conclusion. First of all, Black Dog Opera Library series has great performances of opera captured on quality sound and full of illustrated pages profiling the life of the composer and historic background of the opera, as well as a bio on the singers. The libretto is precise and embellished with notes on key moments (arias, ensembles, etc) of the opera.Beverly Sills (Violetta) has sung the role 54 times in the course of 63 days. She is equally as powerful an actress as she is a singer, at paar with her contemporary of the 60's, Maria Callas. In this recording (1971) her voice is still a fine instrument, and she conveys a broad range of artistic value. In the first act, the party act in which she first meets Alfredo (Nicolai Gedda in excellent vocal character), she is bubbly and appropriately festive (she even laughs) and provides us with an operetta-like charm. Her tour de force scene comes at the end of the first act, from the melodious way she sings "A Fors E Lui" to the coloratura showpiece, "Sempre Libera", which she ends with an E flat over a high C. In her Act 2 duet with Germont (apty sung by Rolando Panerai) she moves us with her suffering pathos in her lines "Ditte A La Giovine", "Morro La Mia Memoria" and her farewell to Alfredo "Amami Alfredo". In the confrontation scene where she belts out a tense "Invitato A Qui Seguirmi", and the ensuing "Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core" are all fine moments for Beverly Sills, her voice even rising above the chorus ensemble at the end. Her final scenes, from "Addio Del Passato" to the last breath she takes, is remarkable.This recording is just one of two recordings with the same group- the John Alldys Choir, Aldo Ceccato conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the singers- Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda and Rolando Panerai. Either of these two recordings are great introduction to opera for novices and the art of Beverly Sills. Look no further if you want a great recording of the most intimate and romantic opera that Verdi ever composed. It is a story of love, a portrait of a woman who gives up her glamorous Parisian lifestyle as a courtesan and sacrifices even her own happiness for the man she loves. It is safe to say that this is the most romantic opera, full of rich melody and great acting. At the hands of the right performers, it's a memorable experience.

Eventhough it sounds like a delusion or an exaggeration, I am very sincere when I praise this Black Dog Opera Library recording of La Traviata as the greatest recording of them all. Contrary to what the reviewer said of the performers (Sills and Gedda being past their prime and their voices shrill and terrible sounding which is inaccurate) this is the perfect version and the one all opera fans and Verdi lovers should have. The Black Dog Opera Library series always contain great recordings and the pages are illustrated with dozens of operatic imagery and as always, there is information on the history of the composer and the opera's performance. Beverly Sills and Nicolai Gedda (although they are older, but the focus should always be the voice and not the age of the singers) provide a lush, romantic vocal beauty to the roles of opera's greatest lovers, Violetta and Alfredo. Beverly Sills is the ultimate diva of coloratura, dramatic and bel canto roles and her Violetta has excellence and elegance that is unsurpassed, Gedda's Alfredo is genteel, passionate and driven, while the talents of Rolando Panerai (Giorgio Germont) is a superb baritone with "fatherly" compassion, and the conductor Aldo Ceccato orchestrates a precise, beautiful score that is effective in every scene. I highly recommend you purchase this recording and you will not regret it. The only flaws of the book is that it is disorganized in the libretto, but with that overlooked, what counts is the fine caliber of the performance. Other Blac Dog Opera Library recordings you should take a look at is Georges Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's The Magic Flute, both recordings being the best of the recordings for those operas. Enjoy La Traviata, with its tragic and touching love story of a dying courtesan who gives up everything for the love of one great man. The music is definately Verdian, heart-rendering, intimate, soulful, elegant and festive, and tremendously moving in the final scenes. Five Stars Well Deserved.

Black Dog editions of famous operas should certainly be welcomed. The presentation is wonderful: there are many pictures of composers and opera productions, a libretto in the original language and English translation help with following the score, and the CDs with music usually have a very good version of the performance. In the case of this Traviata, one gets all this and in addition there are great commentaries about the life of Verdi and the history of La Traviata. But when it comes to the CDs that accompany this book, I have a few misgivings. The version used (with Sills and Gedda) would not be my first choice. Both of the principals are somewhat past their prime, and despite their wonderful characterizations, the singing abounds in shrill and inaccurately pitched high notes. The conducting is also too fast and loud for my taste. So I would definitely recommend this book to an opera beginner, as this will make a great introduction to one of the most beloved operas. But if you are already an experienced Verdian, and are looking for another version of La Traviata, I would rather suggest getting either Callas' or Cotrubas' recordings.