Knight-i am not suprised that you have become allergic to La Traviata after listening to the Cura/Mehta televised non-sense. It was truly awful

I happen to love the works of Verdi also. Here are my favourite recordings for what its worth.
La Traviata - Watch the DVD from Aix en Provence with Mirelle Delunsche - first read the booklet about the staging. Excellent. What a performance. Not note perfect, but such singing, passion and pathos. Shames that tacky staging with Netrebko and Villazon where she looks healthier at the end than when she started!! I can tell you that if you watch the Delunsche DVD you will once again fall under its charm. I have seen several of the other DVDs of this opera. I quite like the Gruberova/Shicoff DVD and the Alagna/Fabriziani DVD. Other more recent ones i would leave-the silly Ciofi/Sacca version is dreadful as is the Beczela/Mei DVD.
On CD i favour the Chandos English version with Valarie Masterson-it is truly excellent. I also have a huge soft-spot for the De los Angeles version. Again, it is beautiful. The tenor-carlo del monte is very fine as Alfredo.
Il Trovatore - The first time i saw this was the Plowright/Bonisolli DVD from Verona. It is pretty good and i like Bonisolli-at his best in this meaty role. Carp all you like about his histrionics but we would give a lot to have someone like him today. Unfortunately there has been little improvement in the DVD Trovatore market. There was one a year or so ago with Dvorsky as the Troubador, and one coming out soon with Carl Tanner. Forget the Pavarotti version from the Met.
On CD i favour the rarer recording of Dario Volonte with Cedolins as leonora and Serville as De Luna. Recorded live i think in South America. Is a cracking version. Cedolins sings like a Godess. I also enjoy the Bjorling/Milanov and the Di Stafano/Callas versions. The live recording with Price and Corelli is great too.
Nabucco - I enjoy the DVDs from Vienna with Guleghina and Nucci-is terrific. The production, the singing is very good even if there are some boo's at the end -for Guleghina i think. The slightly older DVD from Verona with Dimitrova and Bruson is well worth seeking out. I can hardly think of it being better-except with a similar cast at La Scala. More recently came a DVD with Maestri and Andrea Gruber. A good production in places but a bit odd. Gruber is a real acquired taste-i dislike her tone.
Otello. I haven't seen all the DVDs on offer. I did not take to the Atlantov/Te Kanawa version from Verona. Nor did i like the earlier Domingo efforts. I would like to see his later La Scala and Met versions.
I do have the more recent Cura DVD. I like the production especially the first act. There seems to be a claustaphobia with you can almost feel-Willy Decker does the production. However, Cura seems to become more 'self-aware' as he goes on and all that wooping and scooping of notes gets worse and becomes a little distracting. I still haven't made it all the way through without switching off!
On CD my favoured Otello is easy-Giacomini is the one for me. Dark toned, brooding and at his vocal heights. Tremendous sound he makes. Domingo sometimes sounds too schooled, too ordinary in comparison.
Aida - on DVD no contest so far -Martinucci and Chaira. What a sound he produced in Celesta Aida. He is a fine stentorian looking actor too. Chaira hits all the note and acts well. On the old Met DVD i enjoyed Aprile Millo, but Domingo sound like he is having an Asthma attack!!! It was not a good time for him.
I bought the more recent DVD many of you have mentioned with Scott Piper as Radames. I don't like it. I don't like the production or the singing. It just doesn't feel right for me.
Another recent one with Dessi and Armiliato i have not seen but i see some good reviews. I did however see the NEW DVD with Nina Stemme and Licitra- its just come out-i saw it on TV and i did not enjoy the setting nor the singing. Licitra looks like Pinkerton dressed in a modern uniform and the updating just did not seem to work.
Anyway, was nice thinking about these again and the Genius of Verdi