Customer Reviews

Coloraturas - Opera Arias

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's nothing standard about "COLORaturaS," soprano Diana Damrau's stunning new recital disc of opera "standards." As many have noted, Damrau is the total operatic package; a seriously gifted singer with an Actors Studio understanding of how to create character. Another reviewer here noted that he preferred Joan Sutherland's version of Verdi's "Caro Nome." Well, perhaps Sutherland "sang" it better (and that's open to debate), but she certainly didn't capture Gilda's budding sexuality or her cautious thrill that perhaps this man, whose name she says as a kind of prayer, will be the one to free her from both her actual and emotional prisons. It's all there in Damrau's thoughtful, heartfelt rendition. Other tracks are just as complex and revelatory. This is the first time I've heard "Je Veux Vivre" and believed that the singer was a breathless, overwhelmed 13 year old; Damrau's Zerbinetta is wise, playful, practical and world weary...all at the same time; her Lauretta seems to be manipulating Gianni Schicchi as much as appealing to his paternal instincts. And I have never heard a funnier "Glitter and Be Gay." Damrau finds the perfect balance between parody and homage, and still manages to provide insight into Cunegonde's hilariously conflicted psyche. If the way I'm describing the performances sounds in any way academic or studied, rest assured that Damrau does all of the above without ever sacrificing the music itself. The singing is joyous, passionate and technically breathtaking. At every step of the way she is more than admirably supported by Dan Ettinger and the Munich Radio Orchestra.

If I have any quibble with Damrau, it's that her diction is at times a little too pronounced; hard consonants a little too hard, every "r" a little too rolled. Even Bartoli doesn't always sing with such music school precision. Ultimately, though, it's a very minor reservation.

For anyone invested in the future (and present, for that matter) of opera, "COLORaturaS" will be very, very welcome.

I have been listening to this latest CD by Diana Damrau for quite a while.
No - this one isn't vocal low camp. By comparison, Damrau's coloratura is about the current best in sopranos.
What I tend to agree is that since joining Virgin Classics, Damrau's albums fail to sustain the high quality of her earlier live recordings available in Orfeo or others.
Even so, if you concentrate on the music on the tracks, you would soon realise that Damrau has some thing different to say in each, and her characterisations are about the best in current singers (male and female included).
Her timbre may not be the most beautiful - like the later Callas, people do not simply listen for the timbre; they listen for the music, for the expression, for the joy and pathos...
I am not familiar with the Rake of Progress, and cannot comment on that one. As for other more familiar tracks, I would say that her Oscar is sterling, her Gilda affecting, her Juliet vulnerable, her Linda charming, her Zerbinetta original. Crowning all these, the aria from Bernstein's Candide, the best ever on record.
I have grown rather sick and tired with 'beautiful nonsenses' in opera these days, and would go to any length to dig back the 'good old days' when operatic singers put their characters in the forefront.
Damrau does not feign bel canto - she puts characterisation first and in the foremost. If that's not 'pleasing' enough to some connoisseur's ears, so be it.

Apart from being able to just 'sing in a decent manner', German soprano Diana Damrau is a peerless vocal actress.
She is also one of the of the foremost coloratura sopranos in this era (the other being the great Italian coloratura Mariella Devia).
This album showcases Herr Damrau's pyrotechnic, as well as her ability of characterisation.
Having said that, the great pleasure that Damrau's voice carries in the earlier years is regrettably lost to a considerable extent lately, as evident in this latest release of hers. Her ability to express is cut down by the limitations in her voice, and most of the time she is being forced to employ heavy-handed pushes to her voice in order to express what's in the score, some thing that she would not have to resort to in her early years when she possessed a much fuller voice.
This phenomenon is gradually becoming apparent with her recent recordings (after she has signed up Virgin Classics). The sweetness of the timbre has been worn down considerably with strenuous roles that would wreck the greatest of voices.
Damrau has adamantly refused to take on such strenuous roles like the Queen of Night again. A very wise decision that should have made even earlier, judging from what has come to pass.
My only wish is that the voice of this wonderful artist will soon recover fully.

The opera audiences of the world now have two incredibly gifted coloratura sopranoes who are also gifted actresses that know how to use text and music as instruments of communication. I am referring to Diana Damrau and Natalie Dessay. They have learned their lessons well from both Maria Callas and Beverly Sills; two Superstars of making the text come alive and making us the audience believe in the Opera Experience as heighten DRAMA! These four mentioned ladies truly make us believe they are living and experiencing the moment. Miss Damrau may make musical choices that are sometimes different than we are used to; sometimes in tempi, phrasing and articulation. However, these choices are taken to convey her very personal interpretations. Both Damrau and Dessay use all their skills and talents to make the moment appear to be truly real. It is a pleasure to listen to what they have to say and how they say it. Singing is basically extended speech on pitches. We, the audience, need to hear and understand the words. Miss Damrau is in very good voice and has given us a truly varied program. We hear: Gounod, Verdi, Strauss, Rossini, Stravinsky, Donizetti, Puccini and even Bernstein. English, Italian, German and French give her no problems. To sum it up a knock out voice that truly communicates every note and syllable, DON'T MISS THIS EXCITING VOICE AND ARTIST!! I do have to agree with my fellow reviewers that there is some loss of bloom to the voice and a bit of pushing for some of the very highest notes. Perhaps, too many Zerbinettas as well as Queen of the nights. Let us hope this is only temporary.

This recording by Diana Damrau is very enjoyable. She has selected a number of selections which are not often performed (the only exception is Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi; why does every soprano seem to thinks that she has to record this piece?) which makes the recoding all the more interesting. However, I gave this performance only four stars because a number of these selections have been recorded by Natalie Dessay whose voice I think better suits the music. This is especially true in comparing this performance of Strauss' Großmächtige Prinzessin with that of Ms. Dessay's in Strauss: Amor - Opera Scenes & Lieder. Nevertheless, this is a recoding very much having. Ms. Damrau has a gorgeous voice and listening to her is time well spent.

Ms. Damrau is arguably among the greatest lving lyric coloraturas of the early Twenty First Century. This cd demonstrates not only her incredible instrument, but her acute intelligence with respect to interpretation and use of vocal nuance. Her choices for the cd include not only arias from her standard repertoire, but roles from operas she has yet to debut. Each cut is a gem, delving into the aspect of a character as she sees it. Get ready. It is not always traditional. One might ask why she chooses to interpolate a high f in Glitter And Be Gay. My answer would be: "Because she can." She is a singer still very much in the ascent of her career.

This cd gives you what you get from Diana Damrau in a live performance: An amazing voice, solid technique, extraordiary musicianship, complete command of the moment at hand and the sense that she is singing just for you...and...you are never anxious that she may not make the next high note or difficult passage. It's all there. It's all happening.

I saw her ad in the most recent issue of Opera News where it said that Diana has been described as "the Meryl Streep of classical music." After listening to this impressive CD, I can understand why. Diana's vocal ability, musicianship and grace matches the Meryl Streep's impressive acting quality, range and work. I think Diana is one of the most thrilling high soprano of our day. She's anything but a standard soprano. She's fearless and absolutely amazing. This is my first Diana Damrau purchase and I can't wait to hear more from her.

I have been bowled over by Diana for a year now.

Her voice is like a row of artillery. GREAT power. And this CD confirms my impression. She is an incredible presence. I think she and DiDonato are the most powerful singers of the present day.

On the other hand.....I do miss the subtlety and nuance of the great singers of these arias. In NONE of this famous bunch is Damrau threatening to become my signature version.

Sutherland is much more adept in Caro Nome.
Upshaw has much more dramatic nuance in the Rake's Progress numbers.
Rossini's is traversed much more scintilattinly by many (Bartoli, etc).

BUT, Damrau is this year's new model. She is a phenomenon. A great pleasure, if not a revelation.

This album...is not great. Damrau sound pretty good in her Mozart album and her Arie di Bravura, but her voice here is a hot ghetto mess, she sound hysterical as if she is trying real hard to be a dramatico-coloratura but her voice is too small and needs to be really pushed.
The high notes are more or less in tune, but it is so forced and ugly that I lose interest on listening to the rest. Also, I DO NOT think she is a true coloratura singer, she does not have a first class agility the way that Beverly Sills, Sumi Jo and Natalie Dessay (in the mid 90's) had.

I suppose that Diana Damrau has gained her swooning fans as a result of her acting, because on the evidence of this CD, it can't be her voice. It's an above-average coloratura, but her delivery is so mannered, her technique so faulty, and her phrasing so eccentric that, to be frank, this CD is like low camp. Adding to the pain is some of the slackest, dullest conducting to come my way in a while.

I wish I could hear the charismatic artist others seem to. Maybe I need to become captivated by some DVDs that show off Damrau's theatricality. Otherwise, here is someone with big ambitions pushing her voice where it hardly wants to go. I have no intention of dissuading her claque here at Amazon, but newcomers should beware.