La traviata - De Nederlandse Opera

[1940stu]

Attractive staging, nicely sung.

[HeidelbergSoprano]

Anna Netrebko was the only Violetta for this production... just saying! :D

[mumularatona]

ANNA NETREBKOOOOOOOOO BEST

[atholjohn1]

Now that I have wasted my time in reading all the comments here,I have been rudely awoken to the fact that all who post here have no idea, and obviously nothing better to do,than to write their own critics,drop a few names they may have heard of or read of and think that this will deter people from looking at such productions as these.WRONG,it has the complete opposite reaction.

Twas hard to write this looking through tears of laughter at the ignorance.

[rumpwrestler]

Willy Decker is great!

[classicalgal14]

No one can touch Netrebko and Villazon <3

[Elisabetta611]

Why must it be either THIS or Zeffirelli? There are countless faithful productions of this opera that aren't by Zeffirelli. Even though Zeff's productions CAN be amazing if HE is directing the singers himself. Watching Zeffirelli at work is AMAZING, he pays attention to even the smallest details.

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 Zeffirelli is an hommage to bad taste.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Clearly, you've never seen him direct in person then. I have. He is a legendary director, taught by Visconti. Take his Covent Garden Tosca with Callas. Decker can only DREAM of such genius.

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 His work must be bad if I need to see Zeffirelli in person in order to like his work.

No seriously: I have seen his works and I do not like them. In my opinion, they are pompous and say nothing. Decker does not need pomp but tells the drama well. That's much better. Cheers.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli You still don't get it, do you? You have only seen productions he hasn't directed himself for years. Re-hashes with the same sets. Watching premieres that actually show HIS direction show why he was one of Maria Callas' favorite directors. Carmen with Domingo & Obraszowa in Vienna. Tosca with Callas and Gobbi in London. Traviata with Bonfadelli. I despise Euro-Trash. Cheap garbage and no more than raping the libretto. The libretto matters more than a director's "drama". "Much better".

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 Hm, I have seen the stuff he has directed himself. It was really bad. And I love people like you who get aggressive and use the word "Eurotrash". It's made by the same manner of spirit as "degenerate art". People who really appreciate art would never use a term like "Eurotrash".

PS: If you want to see someone who is "raping a libretto" and a score, watch Zeffirelli's Otello with Domingo and Ricciarelli.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Oh, so you have watched opera MOVIES he made. So NOT the same thing. I use the term Eurotrash because it fits. Let those Regietheater morons write their own operas rather than abuse masterpieces to live out their "ideas". At least Domingo and Ricciarelli could sing. And I have seen much worse. His Tosca, his Boheme, his Carmen...all milestones. As I originally said though: Why EITHER Zeffirelli or this nonsense? Otto Schenk & Luchino Visconti did La Traviata perfectly.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli And of course one has to be über sophisticated to get this Regietheater trash. Sorry, I am "just" and admirer of masterpieces as they were written. Not warped into vehicles for Anna Netrebko to spread her legs like a slut. (Violetta is NOT a slut) If you enjoy looking at trainstation clocks, Ikea couches and the billionth soprano in a slutty pose, far be it from me to keep you from it. I'll watch Cotrubas, Bonfadelli, Moffo, Freni etc. in the meantime.

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 "Masterpieces as they were written" - I love that fallacy. Because it implies that a text can be read objectively. You do not understand that also your reading is an interpretation, and you pretend to be the owner of the truth - like a religious fanatic.

The most funny thing is that usually people who use that fallacy can neither read Italian nor music. Still, they want to tell the world "what Verdi wanted". Mind boggling! :D

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Stage directions, time settings etc. are written facts. Dance arround the issue all you like. I also love the "interpretation" excuse. I can read both Italian and music. Can you? Hard to imagine, since you loooooove this production so much...including its complete disregard for the libretto's stage directions, time settings and historical roots (Violetta being based on an actual person) AND the subpar singing. Now keep wallowing in your "modern" enlightement and leave me alone. Deal?

[AfroPoli]

Sei proprio scema. Se l'interpretazione di Decker sia una giustificazione, che cosa saranno l'interpretazioni innumerevoli di Zeffirelli, il guru del kitsch e del cattivo gusto. Hai mai sentito alle sciochezze che il tuo guru dice sul libretto della Tosca? E non parliamo della sua Aida a Busseto, una schifezza perfetta. Secondo lui, Radamès è un musulmano e Amneris una carogna. Ahahahahah! E adesso scrivimi in Italiano e fammi vedere come sei in grado di leggere un libretto verdiano del 800.

[Elisabetta611]

Somebody can't look beyond the obvious. And I am so not impressed by your Italian. I've heard what he said about the libretto of Tosca. (Depending on what you mean though). I haven't seen his Aida from Busseto, only his Traviata. Funny how actually following the libretto's stage and time directions is kitsch while putting Violetta in a cheap slip and have her and Alfredo skulk about on Ikea couches is so much better. Enjoy your cheap trainstation Traviata. And now I am truly done. *Block button*

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 Hm, this last judgement of yours only proves that you not only don't know Italian but also that you do not have the faintest idea of what you are talking about. I am not surprised. And you are terribly repetitive. on top of it. So, please keep your promise and be quiet. Thanks.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Well, so far all I've seen out of you is pseudo modern yadda dadda about the "drama". Which CANNOT be done in the libretto's time frame, OH NO, modern audiences may get bored! I know Italian just fine, you should use a better translator though. You think you aren't repetetive? I never made you a promise, dearie. Get off your pompous high horse and learn to accept that some people CARE about what is written in the stage directions. Which is perfectly legitimate. So get over it.

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 God, are you dumb. Italian is my mothertongue you idiot. And if you write that one has to be "über sophisticated to get this Regietheater trash", I can assure you: you do not neven need half a brain, but you don't seem to have even that. You keep promising that you'd stop writing, but you never do.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli If it were, you'd know some punctuation and grammar. Or recognize sarcasm for what it is. Like I said, get over it. Or move to Germany. It's filled with Regietheater!

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 I can't stop laughing at you. And who are you anyway to judge? You know no Italian and you cannot read music. You cannot even post reasonable arguments. I love Germany. End of debate! :)

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Jumping to conclusions without evidence again? If you love Germany, MOVE THERE. I'm sure you'll love the Regietheater excesses there. Calixto Bieito especially. That seems to be right up your alley. What debate? You twisted a post of mine into an anti-Zeffirelli tirade. That isn't an argument, that's trolling.

[AfroPoli]

@Elisabetta611 No, Violetta is the Virgin Mary.

[Elisabetta611]

@AfroPoli Oooooooh....an attempt at....sarcasm? Epic fail. Try again.

[Laroling]

I'm sorry but if someone calls the Zefirelli wh"rage something representing the 'time of old masters' they don't know about the 'old times'. The thing about old times I think was to be refreshing, trying something new, experiment. If we truly want to honor 'old times' it's not odd to also experiment, try new ways of telling a universal story. Also I think opera is something for all times, so why not take it to our times? The met should atleast get the moths out and try too!

[phiff777]

It looks like this modern trend is slowly coming to USA. Dir. Gelb is making small but secure steps into the ugly europe - style productions. I hope somebody will tell him that the opera is the only dream world where we can see and feel the past and still experience human feelings and wonderful music of old masters.

[llamasaresmelly]

@phiff777 I don't think it's wrong to introduce minimalist modern productions so long as they do no damage to the score or the characters. This production seems to get rid of all the normal frees in an attempt to focus on the most important character, Violetta, and the dilemmas she faces. Having seen the DVD with Netrebko and the Zeffirelli production at the Met, I would see this one over that parade of costumes anyday.

[Jaydoggy531]

@llamasaresmelly

The problem with this direction is that it showed lack of research on verismo. It is meant to be realistic, so the Zeffirelli production was far more tasteful to the libretto. Violetta is an extravagant spender, and the stage and costumes displayed it as such. The set with symbolic props (especially the giant clock) completely goes against what verismo theater is. In verismo, the tangible world and character interaction are essential.

[nisticom]

@Jaydoggy531 I don't like this production. Having said that, La Traviata is not what we usually call a "verismo" opera... Unless you mean something else with the word verismo...

[rumpwrestler]

Decker may be bad, but there are a few others in Germany: MUCH WORSE!

[ILoveJoanSutherland]

HORRIBLE production!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[papoocanada]

hey Decker why don't you read the score instead of re-inventing Verdi you idiot

[petitspirouet]

autand la production de salbourg etait une merveille reconnue par tous, autand celle ci est a oublier, ce qui est deja fait.n'est pas Netrebko qui veut....

[petitspirouet]

vouloir faire du netrebko...un desastre...

[FFSkool]

Excellent production!

[podkivanok]

Without Netrebko and Villazon this production looks already not so vulgar, I would even say interesting :)

[dziady1]

The european lunacy at its high point. Thew second rate

always seem to want to improve on the first rate .

[bandidocat]

Another silly, boring European post-modern revisionist staging.

[KnusperhexeRosmer]

You are so right. It is horrible!!!!

[hillevifan]

So much better than Netrebko!

[bojan34]

Magnificent! I was there tonight! :)