In line with its commitment to promote the sidelined repertoire of the 19th century, Opera Rara has released the world premiere recording of “Le Willis,” the one-act opera that Puccini submitted to the Concorso Sonzogno and later turned into the revised version of “Le Villi.” Not only does it testify to the musical panorama of the pre-Verismo decades, it also {…}
UPDATE: This review has been updated to include information about new features. When thinking about how we consume music these days, it is hard to question the fact that we live in a “Spotify World.” The famed subscriber service has dominated the online community with its access to a wide range of music of all kinds and from all places. {…}
Over the summer, the Wiener Staatsoper celebrated its 150th anniversary. The company presented an all-star gala which was showcased throughout the theater and also released two special edition collections. One was a DVD set of previously released content and the other was a CD set with mostly world premiere recordings. The CD set of nine operas and a compilation album {…}
This new recital of florid Offenbach rarities sung by Jodie Devos, a young Belgian soprano, is lightning in a bottle. I can’t recall the last time I felt such an ecstatic sense discovery while a CD unspooled around me: nearly a dozen obscure gems from one of the most prolific and ingenious composers of all time are made to sparkle {…}
Cecilia Bartoli’s latest album, “Antonio Vivaldi” (2018) comes almost twenty years after her historic recording, “The Vivaldi Album,” which was released in 1999 to wide critical acclaim and incredible popular success. The 1999 album sparked a renewed interest in Vivaldi’s operatic works and positioned Bartoli as a champion of neglected or forgotten music. It also showcased Bartoli’s talents as a {…}
Many young singers, especially in the baroque repertoire, tend to choose dependable crowdpleasers when making their debut CD. “Lascia ch’io pianga” and “Ombra mai fu” appear with such ubiquity it seems almost sinful not to include them. Polish wunderknabe countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński’s first major release for Erato/Warner Classics courageously breaks the mold. There are so many exotic rarities and {…}
It’s hard to find the right voice for the Bel Canto repertoire. A great Bel Canto singer needs flexibility, bright high notes, immense breath control, and impeccable phrasing. And of course, a singer needs to have great command of expression, otherwise, the music can easily fall flat. Many singers attempt to put all this together, but few actually have the complete package, {…}
Toronto-based chamber opera company Against the Grain Theater has launched a new record label. I can’t think of better start to such a venture than this recording of Osvaldo Golijov’s song cycle, “Ayre.” The work captures some of the company’s central ideals: beauty, relevance, and innovation. This ravishing live recording by soprano Miriam Khalil and a top-notch group of soloists {…}
“Puccini in Love” surveys mostly well-known love duets from Puccini’s canon. Because the music will be familiar to opera aficionados, the album’s success or failure depends on whether the interpreters can make the familiar fresh. Mission accomplished. Marketing at Sony is betting on the love-story behind the album to sell the project, but its success has little to do {…}