La Traviata - Christine Schäfer; sempre libera (2)

[Tilantelcontar]

Auf die Idee, Edith Piaff auf die Bühne zu stellen und die Violetta singen zu lassen, muss man erst einmal kommen. Die Gestik, die MImik, das schwarze Kleid, die kurzen roten Locken, das Spotlight von oben, die zierliche, zerbrechlich wirkende Christine Schäfer. Richtig klar wird das Konzept aber erst im Vorspiel zum 3. Akt, wo Violetta ihr Leben an sich vorbeiziehen sieht. und dies immer dazwischen geschnitten ist. Absolut PERFEKT!!!

[Hanako5100]

I really like her singing. At first I was so shocked by the production I was repelled by her short hair and the dress. But as I listened to her several times, I have grown more and more fond of her singing and now she looks absolutely beautiful and suited to her role.

Christine Schaefer is truly wonderful!

[Serinia4melodic]

Gheorghiu is the best violetta:D I like the dress, but it`s so NOT violetta style:P

[PopoliDiTessalia]

"Schaefer IS the Violetta of our days", "Anna Netrebko is a perfect Violetta"... What happened to Bel Canto?

[Serinia4melodic]

@PopoliDiTessalia it died

[mozart200657]

awful...she looks like a character of Fassbinder´s movie "Querelle de Brest"....muuahahahaha

[Woolve]

@mozart200657 who is talking here about her looks?go watch a vid of britney spears

[schonklang]

Is "povera donna" not "poFera Tonna"..

[classicalgalNYC]

She doesn't look too old for the role + sounds too old =/ Anna Netrebko in MY opinion is a perfect Violetta ;)

[coryisawake]

............

[oradin1]

Love it!!!

[htshoward]

Beautiful voice, but very dull singing, and there was no high E-flat. I do not want to hear this aria without it. Also, I do believe the conductor had taken one too many Xanax prior to conducting this aria, as the tempo was ridiculously slow. Good heavens!

[Zashorigin]

Beautiful voice and very musical, but.... I read people talking about interpretation here and I simply can´t find it. There isn´t an interpretation in terms of acting. Beautiful voice but acting was very boring.

[AccidentalTouch]

The styling and setting is a bit on the Edith Piaf-side, isn't it?

I like her appreciate her singing very much and in combination with her unusual and fragile beauty she delivers a very uncommon Violetta.

On the other hand, Kaufmanns voice sounds incredibly tired and pushed here. He should retire all the high tenor roles and use his barytone martin for other purposes.

[chevrox]

@AccidentalTouch That was the 1st thing that struck me, too! When the light dimmed I was immediately reminded of the final je ne regrette rien scene from la mome.

[TheViolettavalery]

The best opera singer of the world!!!

[guendy77]

Questo vuol dire veramente cantare! Ho sentito cantare la Traviata così meravigliosamente dalla Scotto! Che meraviglia! Chi non apprezza una cantante così, non conosce veramente il canto.

Here you can really say SINGING!! I've listened a Traviata as beautiful as this just with Scotto! What a marvelous exhibition! People who don't appreciate such a singer doesn't really know what singing is.

[OperaBohemian]

Does anyone else think this production makes her look like Edith Piaf?

[tneprescintr]

@OperaBohemian totally.

[6sushi66]

Singing is amazing,but I don´t like costume and visage:(

[cantanteporsiempre]

@6sushi66  Yes, tha part is awful.

[alecs1976]

christine, stick to mozart!

[STEPHMJN]

beautiful...such a sensitive vision and voice

[mariasarda]

Voix extra pour ce rôle, mais alors, qu'est-ce qu'elle est mal fagottée dans ce costume, pauvre femme, qui en plus d'être phtisique, souffre d'avoir un mauvais costumier...

[KOKAYT1]

@mariasarda

mais comme vs le dîtes : très belle voix et surtout très beau souffle !!!

[elitap22]

Bella voce, beautiful voice.

[newhotmailit]

brava schafer!!!!

[aircat29]

Yo se que el agudo final no esta escrito en la partitura original pero que querés que te diga..un aria tan brillante me quedé con ganas de oirlo  de ella ...sobre todo de ella...

[marylambcarter]

bravo jonas ...

[titomanlio66]

Christine Schaefer is an absolute genius. There is no one else on the musical scene today who can sing as different composers as Purcell, Handel, Mozart, Schumann, Mahler, ... with such an insight and art. Verdi Traviata goes down my spine and Schaefer IS the Violetta of our days. Besides Sempre Libera, I have never heard Addio del Passato so movingly sung. Pity this production is not likely to be available on dvd, as the mise en scene had such bad press in Paris.

[spn1007]

I am glad to see this clip and to see that she actually is quite talented (or was in 2007). She was TOTALLY miscast in yesterday's broadcast of Der Rosenkavalier from the Met. Totally wrong voice for Sophie. She sounded like she could have been an aging courtesan herself! DR is probably my favorite opera and, for the first time, I had to actually turn off a performance!

It's a shame that good singers allow themselves to be miscast. Worse when it's their choice!

[PeterPetronovich]

@spn1007 I saw her sing Sophie at the Met before the broadcast, which I did not hear. She sounded absolutely gorgeous.

[ChristinaLuiseNikita]

Weiß Gott ich vergöttere Jonas wirklich, aber wie sch**** sieht er denn bitte in dieser Produktion aus ?! Ahahahahah ;))) Glatte Haare und rasiert...nein das steht ihm nicht !

[bodiloto]

LA NONNA DI VIOLETTA  !!!!!

[ursus1302]

zugegeben: habe diese arie noch nie so gehört...christine schäfer ist und singt eben anders...und das ist gut so....warum nicht?

die stimme fühlt sich hörbar wohl, klingt schön und kann auch in schwierigsten passagen noch gestalten....also: BRAVA BRAVA!!!

[Loismustdie26]

Is it just me, or is this being conducted a little slow?

[schnittersd]

I´m agree with mtrav95, say what you want about the production, dress, even about kaufmann (i don´t like him to much)... but she es great. Yes, some notes are to long but doesn´t lose anyone like a lot of sopranos do in this aria

[mtrav95]

Say what you want about the production, but Shaefer's voice is pretty much ideal for this role. Light enough to manage the coloratura but heavy enough for Verdi. Violetta is a cruel role and she copes wonderfully. The tempo here is a little sluggish in places, but you can't fault the singer for that, Shaefer's Italian is perfectly fine.And the tenor has wonderfully unique, dark timbre. It's a little frustrating when people make criticisms and really don't know what they're talking about...

[Orfeo68]

totally agree.....! I saw this production 3 times and it was amazing!!!!

[ifmusicbe]

It's like the Rocky Horror Traviata Show -- both visually and vocally. This performance lacks any femininity or vulnerability, both essential elements of the character. Tenor's not much better.

[operapaul]

very bad Violetta.....

Her speed always not consistent..no rythem. Some notes are too long. The orchestra seems cannot catch her speed.

Lack of emotion.

Her Italian is not good at all.

Bad hair, bad costume.........

[tenor003]

C'est vrai que toi tu ferais muieu qu'elle :) j'aimerais t'y voir en violetta sur la scene de l'opéra de Paris :)

n'empeche tu critique mais c'est quand même elle qui est sur la scene de l'opéra pa Paris et non toi :D

[tombwomb]

opera queens are so boring and lacking in any sensitivity and commonsense.....

[pandorasmile]

how is that?

[Violetta1]

What a horrible wig! The director should be shot! Just terrible! Violetta is supposed to be beautiful! The wig could be used for I Pagliacci! I wouldn't go so far to call her the best Violetta before having seen Angela Gheorghiu.

[pandorasmile]

the wig is horrendous, I agree, but Christine Schäfer is such a beautiful woman, despite the ugly hair.

[tiffanilambert]

You're right. That wig might work for "Roberto Devereux," but it does nothing for Violetta. Concerning Gheorghiu, meh. She's too much of a screamer for me.

[MusicaParola]

She is an engaging singer, and fares much better in the rest of the opera. As mentioned, the coloratura is a bit careless in some spots. She is a serious, committed artist, although this may not be her best role (her Gilda is excellent). The dress... She reminds me of a redhead Edith Piaf.

[WiseMonki]

Does well here... i did very much enjoy her Gilda. My warm regards,

[Elried]

Ich finde netrebko als violetta besser. Sie hat einfach mehr durchschlagskraft und wirkt sicherer in dieser arie.

aber sie ist trotzdem toll. ich find nur diese kurzen ausbrüche ins brustregister ziemlich hässlich

[zafireh]

über die Inszenierung läßt sich streiten. ich finde die Kostüme auch nicht so besonders. Aber Sie ist tausend Mal besser als Netrebko! Es kommt ja nicht nur auf das hohe Es am Ende der Arie an!

[vanhoyden]

she is the BEST La Traviata!

[Operaddict]

Christine Schaefer is marvelous. She has it all.

[valerieetjeanmi]

Merci de mettre cet extrait, je cherche vainement une captation de ce spectacle que j'ai adoré. kaufmann est un des plus grand tenor actuel, j'ai eu la chance de l'entendre au festival de radio france ! et sa prestation au côté de c.schäfer est tout simplement exceptionnelle.

[mrlammermoor]

expression near zero. she seems to be happy just to make it through and the dress is ridiculous...

[Foly90]

Alphonsine Duplessis, Marguerite Gautier, Violetta, Traviata are the same person and this person has no cheerful soul because she has too much misfortune: Christine Schäfer shows him(it) well in his interpretation(performance) of " sempre libera ". The dress is of beautiful quality.

The singer is brilliant.

[mrlammermoor]

you obviously did not understand me: schäfer is so overparted that she is just happy to make it through - all the higher notes turn sour and ugly or they are very small, the coloratura is remarkably sloppy for a former coloratura soprano.

beautiful dress? HA HA

[Foly90]

Look at the comments of the other youtubers, they like(love)!

And, yes the dress is beautifull, beautiful lace

"Christine Schaefer is marvelous. She has it all. "Operaddict...and the other...

[7777777HALLO7777777]

@mrlammermoor but shes better than Netrebko.

[tanasibilio]

If anyone can make sense of yet another Marthaler folly, if anyone can move you and invite you into Violetta's feelings, it's Christine Schäfer. Her commitment, musically, artistically, is so total that she elevates every production she graces--including this one, and Marthaler's nutcase Figaro, as well.

She's doing Lucia this year, as well as Partenope and even Konstanze again--I hope at least one of those productions has a set that doesn't resemble an East German gymnasium prior to 1988.

[Foly90]

I agree, she is brilliant; I love the prestations of Christine Schäfer and Jonas Kaufmann with much emotion