Erato is certainly serving the world of opera marvellously well. Only a
few months ago American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato had an album titled
Stella di Napoli (Star of Naples), a collection of rare Neapolitan
Bel Canto Opera Arias. Now Erato has released this new collection
Fiamma
del Belcanto (Flame of Belcanto) from the Bavarian opera singer Diana
Damrau. It’s Damrau’s first album to be entirely devoted to Italian
repertoire. It takes the golden age of
Bel Canto from Donizetti and
Bellini as a starting point and continues through to the progressive
Verismo movement of Puccini and Leoncavallo.
Damrau’s release consists of scenes and arias from roles some of which she
hasn’t sung on stage. In three of the works there is a part for a second
singer; variously Nicole Brandolino (mezzo), Piotr Beczala (tenor) and
Damrau’s husband Nicolas Testé (bass). Nine operas are featured from the
pens of five composers Donizetti (
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra and
Maria Stuarda), Bellini (
I puritani and
La
sonnambula), Verdi (
I masnadieri,
La traviata and
Luisa Miller), Puccini (
La Bohème) and Leoncavallo
(
Pagliacci). Six of the operas are standard repertoire while others
are on the fringes:
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra,
I masnadieri
and
Luisa Miller.
Acknowledged as a leading dramatic coloratura of her generation it is not
surprising that Damrau has included here three of her signature roles namely
Elvira in
I puritani, Amina in
La sonnambula and Violetta
in
La Traviata.
Damrau is one of the finest sopranos around today displaying a range of
excellence from a truly caressing
pianissimo to her most dramatic
outpouring of emotion. In the coloratura arias Damrau is secure with an
attractive, well focused tone. I especially enjoyed the extract from
Donizetti’s
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra to a text by Felice Romani; it
was premièred in 1834. Damrau as Rosmonda Clifford fights Eleanor of
Aquitaine for the love of Enrico II, King of England, her lover, who she
knows as Edgardo. In the memorably melodic
Torna, torna, o caro
oggetto the lovesick Rosmonda feels the pain of parting. Making a
poignant Rosmonda there is a freshness, a sense of vulnerability and an
aching sadness in Damrau’s voice. Also exceptional is an aria from
Donizetti’s
Maria Stuarda a tragic opera to a libretto by Giuseppe
Bardari. This was written in 1835. In the aria
O nube! che lieve per
l’aria Maria, reminiscing about her youth spent at the French Court,
hears the approaching Royal party. Maria hopes soon to meet her love
Roberto, the Earl of Leicester. This is a beautifully judged performance
displaying a gloriously smooth legato in an aria that closes with the
exciting martial strains of a trumpet fanfare. Verdi’s much loved
La
traviata from 1853 was written to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave.
It’s a tragic opera about Violetta Valéry, a dying Parisian courtesan who
sacrifices all for love. A particular highlight is Damrau’s engaging singing
of Violetta’s celebrated aria
Sempre libera where she exposes the
struggles in her life with a terrifying dramatic coloratura.
From Gianandrea Noseda’s time as chief conductor at the BBC Philharmonic
in Manchester I have come expect passion in his performances and a striving
for excellence. Now as musical director of the Orchestra of the Teatro Regio
Torino, an orchestra that knows these Italian opera scores so well, Noseda
has established a strong collaboration with his players and it works
perfectly.
I am pleased to report that full sung texts and English translations are
provides in the booklet. Erato have surpassed themselves with excellent
sonics which produce a clear and well balanced sound picture.
Michael Cookson
Full track-listing
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra
(1837)
1. Ancor non giunse [2.39]
2. Perché non ho del vento [2.50]
3. Torna torna, o caro oggetto [3.19]
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835)
I puritani (1834)
4. O rendetemi la speme [1.37]
5. Qui la voce sua suave [2.58]
6. Vien, diletto [4.59]
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Maria Stuarda (1835)
7. Allenta il piè, Regina [3.28]
8. O nube! che lieve per l’aria [4.07]
9. Nella pace del mesto riposo
A [3.07]
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835)
La sonnambula (1831)
10. Oh! Se una volta sola [5.13]
11. Ah, non credea mirarti [4.06]
12. Ah, non giunge uman pensiero [3.20]
Giuseppe VERDI (1813- 1901)
I masnadieri (1847)
13. Venerabile, o padre, è il tuo sembiante [2.04 ]
14. Lo sguardo avea degli angeli [4.43]
La traviata (1853)
15. È strano! È strano! [1.12]
16. Ah, fors’è lui [5.23]
17. Follie! follie! [1.03]
18. Sempre libera
B [3.49]
Luisa Miller (1849)
19. Il padre tuo
C [3.23]
20. Tu puniscimi, o Signore [2.42]
21. Qui nulla s’attenta
C [1.55]
22. A brani, a brani, o perfido
C [3.32]
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
La Bohème (1895)
23. Donde lieta uscì [3.16]
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)
Pagliacci (1892)
24. Qual fiamma avea nel guardo! [5.01]
Diana Damrau (soprano)
Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino/Gianandrea Noseda
Nicole Brandolino
A (mezzo), Piotr Beczala
B (tenor),
Nicolas Testé
C (bass)
ERATO 0825646166749 [78.50]
