Title : Opera Arias
Author : Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Release Date : 20030909
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $16.98
Amazon.com Price : $13.49
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Editorial Reviews : Here, a year after her sensational Metropolitan debut as Prokofiev’s Natasha from War and Peace, comes the debut solo recital album of 30-something soprano Anna Netrebko. She hails from southern Russia, and her emergence from the life of a conservatory student has a touch of the Cinderella tale—the bit, that is, about being discovered by Gergiev mopping floors for the Kirov as a part-time job and making her way into the Kirov's ranks. Later she became a favorite at San Francisco Opera, trying on for size a swath of comic and dramatic roles. Opera Arias parades Netrebko's way through a spectrum of vocal styles and characters. This mesmerizing lyric soprano engages--at times thrillingly grips--the listener with an imagination far greater than the disc's title (couldn't someone have dreamt up a less ridiculously bland handle?), but most significantly leaves an impression that the enterprise here isn't merely about singing. Netrebko's Ilia and Donna Anna are flesh-and-blood characters in real situations, as Mozart wanted them to be. The results are a bit more uneven with her bel canto heroines, where the required balance between Netrebko's emotional identification, so obviously a forte, and the musical phrasing thereof is a delicate one. Her shading of Lucia's mood swings, vocal and emotional, isn't consistently compelling. On the other hand, Netrebko uncovers gemlike facets not just in Gounod's 'Jewel Song' but particularly in her stunning, passionately realized and beautifully phrased Manon (even if her trills disappoint). A shame that samples of her Russian repertory are missing here, though Netrebko's 'Song to the Moon' from Dvorak's Rusalka concentrates and sets a mood with enviable mastery. Netrebko's musical intelligence and theatrical savvy seem destined to ensure her a magnificent career, so it's no surprise that many fans are already clamoring for more than the tease of an aria collection. --Thomas May
Buyer Reviews : Anna Netrebko is a very rare soprano who possesses a magnificent voice coupled with great beauty. Under her carefully guided, unrushed career, she has at the relatively early age of 31, sung in every major opera house in the world and is becoming increasingly sought after by every major opera house. This spring she debuted in Vienna and received seven curtain calls. A critic in Vienna wrote,
'New York, Munich, London, Milan, Washington, Madrid-all of them have had the chance to get to know the miracle from St. Petersburg. Last year she was the highlight of the much-discussed production of Don Giovanni in Salzburg. With her Traviata she has now conquered the Vienna Staatsoper as well...It really isn't a stretch to use the word 'miracle. Here one singing actress brought together everything that opera fans could hitherto only dream of. A young woman of confident appearance, in every moment completely present in the intelligently conceived, deeply moving interpretation of a character caught between joie de vivre, destructive love, and the gripping proximity of death. And all of this constantly attuned to the vocal side of her interpretation: faultless technique, perfect coloratura, a substantial soprano voice full of dark-hued luminous power in all registers. Next to that her richly shaded coloration made every emotion believable. She was radiant in joy and confidence, passionate in outbreaks of love, empty in deeply moving moments of despair.' Die Presse (Vienna), April 4, 2003
Recognizing that Ms Netrebko is well on her way to becoming a major opera star, last year, Deutsche Grammophon signed her to a five CD contract and this is the much anticipated debut album. They pulled out all the stops and gave her the Wiener Staatsopernchor and the Weiner Philharmoniker as accompaniment.. It does not disappoint. Each of the 9 arias were carefully selected to show Ms. Netrebko's beautiful and powerful vocal instrument to its fullest. This is a very intelligent singer. Her personality also shines through. We have Mozart, Berlioz, Massenet, Donizetti, Bellini, Gounod, Dvorak and Puccini. Each listener will have his own favorites. It is 63 minutes of absolute joy. They have set a very high standard and I will be curious to see how they will be able to top this debut album. This CD will become a collector's item and I urge everyone to become acquainted with Ms. Netrebko
