Verdi - La Traviata / Levine, Stratas, Domingo

Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera	Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)	Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan Opera	Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre	Verdi - Rigoletto / Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, Edita Gruberova, Victoria Vergara, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Riccardo Chailly This extraordinarily powerful 1983 production may be the best-sung performance by Luciano Pavarotti on DVD, but when acting values are counted in, Ingvar Wixell manages to outshine the tenor star. Verdi gave the Duke two of Italian opera's most brilliant arias ("Questa o quell...
Puccini - Tosca / Kabaivanska, Domingo, Milnes, Luccardi, Mariotti, Bartoletti Opera is an inherently theatrical medium that does not lend itself readily to the realism of film treatment. The shining exception is Puccini's Tosca, an action-packed melodrama that unfolds in three taut and gripping acts like the meatiest of Hollywood films noir. And unlike mos...	Verdi - Rigoletto / Domingo, MacNeil, Cotrubas, Diaz, Levine, Metropolitan Opera	Bizet - Carmen / Levine, Baltsa, Carreras, Metropolitan Opera	Puccini - Madama Butterfly Of all Puccini's major operas, the intimate tragedy of Madama Butterfly is least in need of elaborate staging and might therefore benefit most from the close scrutiny of film. The story is domestic, the setting Spartan, the incidental characters kept to a minimum. This 1974 versi...	Verdi - Otello / Domingo, Fleming, Morris, Croft, Levine, Moshinsky, Metropolitan Opera

A mixed bag
Domingo sings beautifully, Stratas less so but looks and acts the part. The biggest problem is there are so many cuts and shortened arias that you could almost call this "extended highlights". And Zeferelli over-produces, particularly with camera work. If you want a movie version get Anna Moffo's of over 30 years ago. Now there was a Violetta!

wonderful production
Verdi - La Traviata / Levine, Stratas, DomingoI saw this production in 1986 and I was so impressed with this performance that I always want to have this particular version of la Traviata. I saw this DVD when I received this one a couple of weeks ago and my opinion didn't change.

Stratas/Domingo La Traviata
Saw it years ago when it first came out and it seems to have improved over time....as for Stratas: 'Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety'

The definitive Traviata production
You won't find a better one. Not just a filming of a stage production but a sumptuous movie rendition. Incredible staging and lighting with terrific casting. Domingo in his prime, and Stratas is one of the leading singing actresses of her generation. Only minor downside is the subtitles include the hearing impaired queues, but if/once you know the story, just turn them off.

OPera at its best
This film of one of the best loved operas is brilliant both in performance and setting. Even someone who does not attend the opera cannot fail to enjoy and be moved by this production.