Verdi - La Traviata

Pros: Anna Moffo – gorgeous vocally and physically; excellent soundtrack; good sets by stage standards

Cons: Not nearly as cinematic as Zeffirelli's version; weaker male singers

The Bottom Line: The combination of Moffo's beautiful voice and deeply expressive eyes makes this recording a treasure, despite it being essentially a filmed stage performance.

Review: Earlier this month, I reviewed the powerful 1982 Zeffirelli adaptation of Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece, L a Traviata (1853). The opera's title means approximately "A Woman Gone Astray." I thought it might be ...