# Dessay / Becoming Traviata - The Movie



## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Anyone seen this? I just heard about this (via a Santa Fe Opera facebook post) and it turns out its playing here tonight. A pleasant surprise!

BECOMING TRAVIATA
(LA TRAVIATA ET NOUS)
2012, Philippe Béziat, France, 108 min.
With Natalie Dessay, Jean-François Sivadier
"Riveting...A treat for fans of opera, the performing arts, and documentaries about process."
-Ronnie Scheib, Variety

BECOMING TRAVIATA is an exhilarating account of the creative process and a rousing, uniquely accessible rendition of Verdi's glorious opera. Director Béziat, known for his innovative documentaries on classical music, trains his cameras on a 2011 production of La Traviata helmed by celebrated stage director Jean-François Sivadier. We get a behind-the-scenes look at such areas as set design and musical direction, but the heart of the film is the intense collaboration between Sivadier and charismatic soprano Natalie Dessay. With an emphasis on stunning, psychologically revealing gestures, they work out a naturalistic, erotic, emotionally direct interpretation of Violetta that is mirrored by the immediacy of the in-rehearsal performances. In French, Italian, and English with English subtitles. DCP video. (MR)

Link to trailer:
http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/becomingtraviata


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Sorry, seriously disturbed by all the publication and broadcast about "The Process." Think it should be kept behind closed doors and discussed only amongst those who "Do" the process.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks for the tip, I'll have to look for that! Her Traviata (I know, I've said it before) is my ALL TIME favorite.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> Thanks for the tip, I'll have to look for that! Her Traviata (I know, I've said it before) is my ALL TIME favorite.


You'll be wanting the filmed version directed by Franco Zeffirelli; Teresa Stratas, Placido Domingo -- startlingly good.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I know, you'll think I'm nuts, but I saw that one BEFORE I saw Dessay's. Dessay just speaks to me, in the role. Plus I think Castronovo a better Alfredo. Not a better singer; non possio! but everything Domingo did on film, to me, smacks of Domingo playing Domingo. All Castronovo has to do is play Alfredo, and he does a good job. And I love the side characters, the Baron, Anina, the men's and women's choruses. It all just works.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

OK, this film is definitely one for opera _cognoscenti_. Refreshingly, there are no introductions, no talkover narration, no talking head interviews, no historical background, and no explanation of the storyline. It's basicly a camera running on the rehearsal process from initial blocking thru final dress covering selected scenes from the opera in sequential order. Not very user-friendly for those seeking edu-tainment, but I liked that it assumed the viewer understood the significance of the proceedings.

There are segments with the other principals and the chorus and orchestra rehearsals, but for the most part it is Sivadier working with Dessay. (I would have liked to have seen and heard more of Castronovo.) I don't think this peek at the background takes away any of the "magic", on the contrary hearing how Sivadier verbalizes his concepts and Dessay responds only highlights the level of talent and concentration it takes to make it all look so natural and easy. For me one of the most compelling parts was when they showed repeated iterations of Violetta collapsing into Alfredo's arms showing the difference only the slightest adjustment in gesture and costuming makes.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> Plus I think Castronovo a better Alfredo. Not a better singer; non possio!


I like his voice a lot.


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