CD51 - Page: 1 of 1

Review
OperaOnline.us
I loved this disc. The first time I heard Elina Garanca sing was in the recently-released Bellini masterpiece, “I Capuleti e I Montecch I” where I found her mezzo vocal delivery smooth and silky. Here, in a disc of Bel Canto non-classics she doesn’t disappoint. This is a beautifully balanced offering from beginning to end. Many of the selections, in extended form were simply beautiful. Ms. Garanca is clearly very comfortable and confident in her delivery and is easily able to capture the characters’ emotional involvement in pieces independent of the larger context of the full opera. The tracks from Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” were absolutely wonderful. All said, this is a great disc that I can easily recommend. The mezzo-soprano range has always been my favorite vocal style so this offering gave me much to look forward to hitting all the notes to this reviewer fulfilling all my expectations with easy.

Review
OperaOnline.us
When this disc opened with Celeste Aida in what I considered to be a non-traditional reading of the aria (not enough pomp and circumstance) along with the fact that Mr. Alvarez started with what I thought should be the closer I was immediately worried. By the fourth track (and the rest of the Louisa Miller selections) I was completely converted. This was a beautiful voice giving us superb Verdi. Another positive about this disc was the fact that while most titles were recognizable they were not the standard Verdi arias that we here so often. Mr. Alvarez put together an eclectic and wonderful program in a worthwhile and impressive display of voice. Overall his range and coloring throughout the disc were beautifully rendered and masterfully performed. For Verdi fans this is a solid interpretation of lesser-known arias, delivered with all the passion and emotional delivery we come to expect from Verdi singers.

Review
OperaOnline.us
I liked everything about this disc; from the selections to the voice, the story behind the artist (she debuted at the Met at age 19) and the obvious reverence shown one of my favorite composers: Mozart. Danielle de Niese is not only strikingly beautiful but her sound is heavenly rich and creamy. I could comment on each selection and rave about why I loved this CD title by totle, but I won’t. Instead I will summarize and say that this is a must have for opera fans and most certainly for Mozart lovers. This follow-up to her Handel disc is a home run filled with traditional Mozart favorites from Don Giovanni, Figaro and Cosi to lesser know arias from Idomeneo and the beautiful Exsultate, Jubilate. In this disc Ms. De Niese is reunited with Bryn Terfel for the beautiful duet from Don Giovanni “La ci dardem la mano”. I can say nothing more about this wonderful disc except to recommend it striongly to readers with a note to make it part of your collection – it will not disappoint.

Review
OperaOnline.us
This is an ambitious mainstream project featuring works of several composers: Dvorak, Janacek, Martinu, Schulhoff and Eben. . There is no doubt that that Magdalena Kozena is a wonderful artist and deserves the praise she receives. That said this is a collection of songs for a small group of listeners. Here we are introduced to 34 Czech songs. They’re beautiful, but after a while, tiring, too. After the first few tracks it’s easy to understand why these are important pieces from important composers. What I had a challenge with was knowing that there were 34 on the disc and that my un-educated Czech ear would quickly blend them all together and I would drift quickly. I love Janacek but unlike some of the more mainstream composers his music and flow just doesn’t please the ear as Italian, French and yes, even German. I applaud the effort and know this CD represents Kozena’s rich cultural heritage and culture, and for that I give it high marks. In spite of my reservations, I appreciate hearing these wonderful songs sung by someone so obviously close to them. Will I listen to this CD in the background during dinner – probably not. In sum it is a wonderful education into the style and one I hope I will learn to appreciate more in the future, just not now, unfortunately.

Review
OperaOnline.us
Bellini’s Norma is a wonderful opera filled with amazing vocals and show-stopping arias. Though not a long opera it is jam- packed with excitement throughout. This recording from 1973, featuring Beverly Sills in the title role and Shirley Verrett singing the role of Adalgisa, while very good, offers a slightly different vocal spin on the piece that falls just a little short on delivery where delivery counts most. On the positive side, James Levine’s conducting sounds pleasingly fresh and bold. From the beginning one senses his firm control of the score and an understanding of the subject matter that captures the essence of the piece -- from prelude to end. Where this recording falls just short of perfection is in the vocals. While for the most part the vocals were elegant and thoughtful I found that Beverly Sills, a tremendous soprano in her time, didn’t have quite enough vocal power to truly capture the passion of Norma. She sang elegantly and with great sincerity but not with the force those familiar with the role have all come to expect. Shirley Verrett as Adalgisa was outstanding and held her own, even stealing some of the scenes. Her mezzo was honed nicely to the role and her vocal delivery was comfortable and even throughout. Enrico Di Giuseppe and Paul Plishka as Pollione and Oroveso, respectively,were wonderful and kept up easily with both the ladies and Maestro Levine’s wonderful reading. Overall this is an exciting offering for Norma fans and, through Sill’s reading ,may be different from what we have come to expect .Nonetheless it deserves it’s place in any opera lover’s collection.