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Anna Netrebko - Opera Giacomo PUCCINI (1858–1924) Gianni Schicchi
1. O mio babbino caro [2:47]
Giuseppe VERDI
(1813–1901) La traviata
2. Libiamo ne’ lieti calici (Brindisi) [3:09]
Antonín DVOŘÁK
(1841–1904) Rusalka
3. Mĕsíčku na nebi hlubokém (Sont
to the Moon) [5:04]
Jules MASSENET (1842–1912) Manon
4. Suis-je gentile ainsi? … Obéissons, quand
leur voix appelle [6:33]
Giacomo PUCCINI La bohčme
5. Quando men vo (Musetta’s Waltz) [2:39]
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801–1835) La sonnambula
6. Ah! Non credea mirarti [4:48]
7. Ah! non giunge uman pensiero [2:36]
Giuseppe VERDI La traviata
8. Parigi, o cara [4:24]
Charles GOUNOD (1818–1893) Faust
9. Les grands seigneurs … Ah! je ris de me voir
si belle (Jewel Song) [6:24]
Giuseppe VERDI La traviata
10. Č strano! … Ah, fors’č lui … Follie! [4:53]
11. Sempre libera [3:35]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
(1756–1791) Don Giovanni
12. Crudele? … Non mi dir, bell’idol mio
[6:34]
Giuseppe VERDI La traviata
13. Un di felice, eterea … Ah, se ciň č ver
[3:37]
Vincenzo BELLINI La sonnambula
14. Elvino! E me tu lasci senza un tenero addio?
… Sono geloso del zefiro errante [8:49]
Giuseppe VERDI Otello
15. Ave Maria [5:11]
Bonus Track: Vincenzo BELLINI I Capuleti e I Montecchi
16. Eccomi … Oh! quante volte [3:48]
Anna Netrebko
(soprano)
Rolando Villazón (tenor) (2, 8, 13); Saimir Pirgu
(tenor) (6, 7, 11); Joseph Calleja (tenor) (14); Konzertvereinigung
Wiener Staatsopernchor (2, 4), Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe
Verdi (6, 7), Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Claudio Abbado (1, 6, 7,
10, 11, 15, 16), Wiener Philharmoniker/Carlo Rizzi (2, 8, 13), Gianandrea
Noseda (3-5, 9, 12), The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Carlo
Rizzi (14)
rec. Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna, March 2003
(3-5, 9, 12);t Teatro Municipale Valli, Reggio Emilia, February
and March 2004 (1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16); All Hallows Church, Gospel
Oak, London, May 2005 (14), Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, August
2005
Song texts and English translations included
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON
00289 477 6344 [75:28]
On
the front cover there is no sign of “the yellow label” logotype,
which has been Deutsche Grammophon’s token at least since the
beginning of the LP era. “A brand new recital disc with Anna
Netrebko again!” one exclaims but it soon turns out that this
is recycled material to cash in even more on their brightest
shining star.
The
majority of the content is culled from her first two solo discs:
“Opera Arias” released in September 2003 (tr. 3-5, 9, 12) and
“Sempre libera” issued in August 2004 (tr.1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15).
For good measure there are three duets from the complete La
traviata from Salzburg 2005 (2, 8, 13) and the long duet
from La sonnambula from Joseph Calleja’s recital “The
Golden Voice”, from the same year. As a bonus track (why bonus?)
we get an aria from I Capuleti e I Montecchi, recorded
at the sessions for the “Sempre libera” album, but as far as
I could find, not released at the time. To heighten the mystery
further there is no mention of the aria in the booklet, only
on the back of the jewel case. All this is mixed in haphazard
order. The booklet has a short text “All about Anna”, which
of course it isn’t, and the sung texts with English translations
– but not for the Capuleti aria, which is one of the
least known items on this disc. Do I sound like a nit-picker?
Probably, but I think some things could have been better done.
When
it comes to what we actually hear I have no objections at all.
Now in her mid-thirties and with an operatic career of close
to fifteen years, she is at the zenith of her development. The
stage experience and a natural affinity for acting paired with
a voice that has lost nothing of its youthful timbre and has
no audible scratches on the surface, vouch for unalloyed pleasure.
For once when review listening I just leaned back and made very
few notes on my pad, which normally is littered with comments.
Ransacking
my memory and checking my pad I remember a lyrically beautiful
O mio babbino caro, a largely unsentimental and simple
Song to the Moon but with a deeper, tragic tone at the
end. Very moving. Both her Manon and Marguerite are superb;
complete recordings would be super. She is a glittering Musetta
and her Amina in La sonnambula is inward and sung softly
with the utmost beauty of tone. Violetta’s big aria that concludes
the first act of La traviata is not from the complete
recording but it feels live anyway. Here, as also briefly in
the Sonnambula aria, we hear the clear, lyric tenor of
Saimir Pirgu.
She
is a regal Donna Anna and she sings Ave Maria from Otello
with a wonderful soft legato. Just as wonderful is the soft
playing of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The bonus aria also
leaves nothing to be desired.
The
four duets are valuable for the participation of two of the
finest “new” tenors. Rolando Villazón is arguably the best tenor
to have appeared since Domingo started his phenomenal career
forty years ago. He has a voice that is uncannily similar to
the young Domingo and he has such a rich supply of nuances that
we have to go back even further, to singers like Gedda and Bergonzi,
to find something comparable. Just listen to how superbly and
naturally he caresses the phrases in Un di felice (tr.
13). On the next track Calleja shows the same ability to modulate
his voice with wonderful pianissimo tone.
The
playing of the orchestra is in every way worthy of the occasion,
there are fine contributions from the two choirs and the sound
is state of the art.
I
can’t believe anybody buying this disc on impulse will be anything
but overwhelmed by the glorious singing. You should however bear
in mind that Netrebko sings just as magically on the tracks from
her recital discs that are not included here; searching out those
two would be even more recommendable. Add to this La traviata
– there are highlights for those who don’t want the complete opera
– and buy Joseph Calleja’s “The Golden Voice” and you are supplied
with hours of the best singing in this genre that can be heard
today.
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