La Traviata
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La Traviata
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Narrated by:
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David Timson
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By:
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Thomson Smillie
About this listen
La Traviata owes its enduring popularity to a superb story of young love and fatal sacrifice, set to music by Italy’s master melodist at the peak of his powers. Interest and poignancy are added by the fact that this is a true story - the baritone ‘heavy’ is Alexander Dumas who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo. But it is the central figure, the heroine Violetta, the archetypal ‘whore with the heart of gold’ who dominates the piece. It is her opera and we love her for it.
A superb ‘human interest’ story, a captivating cast of characters, and music which is both enchanting and insightful: just some of La Traviata’s ingredients explaining its enduring popularity. The characters are outlined with Smillie’s reliable blend of insight and originality: "Violetta, we must accept, is the proverbial Whore with the Heart of Gold, and this ravishing melody goes a long way towards melting the said heart." David Timson narrates throughout.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2002 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2002 Naxos AudioBooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
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Story4 out of 5 stars 9
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Flying Dutchman
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
The Flying Dutchman is the perfect opera with which to approach the operatic mountain that is Richard Wagner. It is short, has a great story (the legend of the Dutch captain doomed to sail forever unless redeemed through love), and the striking score has many pre-echoes of Wagner's later great music dramas. It contains wonderful tunes in its arias, ensembles, and big choruses, and the orchestral writing - from the gale that blows out of the Overture to the final theme of "Redemption through Love" - will "blow you away".
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4 out of 5 stars
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Cavalleria Rusticana
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 9
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
Cavalleria rusticana is the short opera that has all the elements of a grand opera compressed into a single highly dramatic time span. The story of love, lust, blood-feud, and betrayal played out against the pageantry of the Easter celebrations in a Sicilian village delivers an emotional wallop because of the youthful vigor and musical wealth of its great score which includes the glorious "Easter Hymn" and the deeply moving "Intermezzo". Mascagni was never to repeat his youthful success but this brief work is enough to ensure his immortality.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoy the opera as it was meant to be
- By Essam on 04-05-15
By: Thomson Smillie
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Puccini: Turandot
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Puccini’s swansong has a claim to being the last great popular opera. Its melodies have enchanted audiences since its posthumous premiere in 1926, two years after Puccini’s death. It involves a chilling story of love and cruelty, an intriguing cast of characters against the exotic backdrop of Imperial China, magnificent choruses and ensembles, and dazzling orchestration in an exotic score that comprises a string of remarkable arias - among which the great tenor aria "Nessun dorma" is the jewel. It is more than Puccini’s last opera: It is the last word, in every sense, on Italian opera.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fire and ice, hope and blood
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Editorial reviews
If ever you thought you’d like to give opera a listen but it just seems too impenetrable, this is your chance to give it a go. Opera scholar and writer Thomas Smillie has put together a wonderfully approachable series titled, Opera Explained. In this edition, performed enthusiastically by the veteran, David Timson, Smillie explains the enduring story of romance and sacrifice from the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Combining entertaining insight with beautiful renditions of Verdi’s opera, Smillie makes Verdi’s La Traviata accessible to listeners from all backgrounds.
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The Godfather: A Film We Can't Refuse
- By: Paramount Pictures
- Narrated by: Rebecca Keegan
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 235
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 213
With exclusive insights from the legendary cast, including Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire, and commentary from a diverse array of film experts and ardent aficionados, we dissect the film’s magnetic allure and its pervasive influence across our culture. Journey alongside Rebecca Keegan, acclaimed senior film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, as she explores the heart of this cinematic masterpiece through a new lens.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Deep dive into The Godfather
- By C.F. on 08-28-24
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Beat the Devil
- By: David Hare, Donald Katz - Introduction
- Narrated by: David Hare
- Length: 1 hr and 10 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 89
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4 out of 5 stars 79
In the spring of 2020, as the world grappled with the deepening coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed British screenwriter and playwright David Hare was struck down by the virus himself. With brutal honesty, sharp humor, and his trademark insight, the renowned writer of modern classics like Skylight and Plenty brings us into his own experience battling the bizarre and terrifying symptoms of Covid-19.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Masterful weave of the personal and political
- By Trevor M. on 10-26-24
By: David Hare, and others
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The Energy Curfew Music Hour
- By: Chris Thile, Claire Coffee, Punch Brothers
- Narrated by: Chris Thile, Punch Brothers
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 32
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story5 out of 5 stars 30
It’s time to unplug with the Grammy-winning Punch Brothers, fronted by singer-mandolinist Chris Thile, as they bring you a multi-episode musical variety show with dazzling musical guests, like Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, James Taylor, and many more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gifted musicians and storytellers right in their element and at the height of their powers
- By Megan G Kahl on 10-27-24
By: Chris Thile, and others
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Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon
- Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops, and the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream
- By: David McGowan
- Narrated by: Bill Fike
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 827
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 694
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Story4 out of 5 stars 697
The very strange but nevertheless true story of the dark underbelly of a 1960s hippie utopia. Laurel Canyon in the 1960s and early 1970s was a magical place where a dizzying array of musical artists congregated to create much of the music that provided the soundtrack to those turbulent times. But there was a dark side to that scene as well. Many didn't make it out alive, and many of those deaths remain shrouded in mystery to this day.
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5 out of 5 stars
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My first review. This book changed me.
- By Robert on 06-30-19
By: David McGowan
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Song of the Northwoods
- By: Jessica Huang
- Narrated by: Michele Selene Ang, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Emma Kikue, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,899
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 3,574
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3,563
After a betrayal at work costs Song Kuan her job, she retreats to her friend Lucy’s idyllic family cabin on a lake in Minnesota to lick her wounds. She devotes herself to recording Ice Cold Cases, a true-crime podcast that she and Lucy cohost with the gleeful energy of obsessed fans—until an anonymous tip about a missing-person case disrupts their equilibrium. Then Lucy disappears, leaving Song alone in an unfriendly and unfamiliar town where locals don’t take kindly to strangers asking questions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Asians in MN! I loved it. The vivid sounds of Northern Minnesota totally took me there, and I was hooked into the mystery.
- By Sheila Morris on 04-26-22
By: Jessica Huang
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A Streetcar Named Desire
- By: Tennessee Williams
- Narrated by: Carla Gugino, Audra McDonald
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,229
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,086
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,078
With Emmy, Grammy, and six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald as Blanche DuBois alongside Carla Gugino as Stella, O’Hara takes a fresh and visceral look at the emotionally charged relationship between these two iconic sisters. Haunted by her past, Blanche seeks refuge with Stella and Stanley (Ariel Shafir) in New Orleans, where she wrestles with the nature of her sister’s husband, her sister’s denial, and her own unraveling mind.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Classic With Fresh Insight
- By Talia Shafir on 12-04-20
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Sorry for Your Loss
- By: Michael Cruz Kayne
- Length: 1 hr and 23 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,305
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,207
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,205
A sidesplitting, heartrending look at life—and death. This powerfully personal production, recorded live from the Minetta Lane Theatre, cuts through the platitudes, directly reaching out to anyone who has ever experienced loss—or will. So...everyone.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Must Listen for the Grieving
- By Chris on 09-25-23
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Petty: The Biography
- By: Warren Zanes
- Narrated by: Warren Zanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,068
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,840
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,836
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write. Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Tom Petty gets some bio love
- By tru britty on 12-15-15
By: Warren Zanes
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Farewell Yellow Brick Road
- Memories of My Life on Tour
- By: Elton John, David Furnish - foreword
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Vikas Adam, Daniel Henning, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13
Farewell Yellow Brick Road is a celebration of Elton John's record-breaking, globe-spanning farewell tour—from Allentown to Auckland, from Sydney to San Francisco. Featured concerts include Elton’s dazzling performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in November 2022, the finale of which streamed live on Disney+. Fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into every aspect of these spectacular shows, including Elton’s legendary touring wardrobe by Gucci, the set design, official photography, and more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Elton is Still Standing...better than ever!
- By Richard Lopez on 11-06-24
By: Elton John, and others
What listeners say about La Traviata
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EmilyK
- 11-23-18
interesting and educational look at the opera
This series is great for learning about an opera, in this case the Verdi classic. I listened to this before I attended a live performance and it helped immeasurably. The narration is wonderful and there's a lot of humor as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- opera4steph
- 02-04-21
Superb Synopsis
Perfectly adequate examination of Verdi's opera "La Traviata" for any layperson. I highly recommend it.
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