CD Review: Diana Damrau & Mariss Jansons’ ‘Vier letzte Lieder’
Credit: Simon Fowler
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CD Review: Prima Classic’s ‘La Traviata’
It is hard for established labels to profitably market a new release – let alone for an independent one like Prima Classic. Long gone are the days when John Culshaw and Walter Legge spearheaded the industry, setting the standards by which every decade or so had its memorable Violetta. Prima Classics – with its reduced catalogue of only four titles {…}
CD Review: Vivaldi’s ‘Arie e Cantate Per Contralto’ & ‘Musica Sacra Per Alto’
This point was always going to be reached! The Naïve label’s ambitious and highly commendable mission to record the entire Vivaldi catalogue held by the Italian National Library in Turin at some point was going to come to an end, or, more accurately, a series of endings. With these two recordings “Arie e cantate per contralto,” and “Musica sacra per {…}
CD Review: Puccini’s ‘Le Willis’
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 {…}
Review: Primephonic
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. {…}
CD Review: 150 Years Wiener Staatsoper The Anniversary Edition
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 {…}
Review: Jodie Devos’ ‘Offenbach Colorature’
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 {…}
Review: Cecilia Bartoli’s ‘Antonio Vivaldi’
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 {…}
CD Review: Jakub Józef Orliński’s ‘Anima Sacra’
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 {…}