Diva, Divo

Jules Massenet (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Charles-François Gounod (Composer), Christoph Gluck (Composer), Hector Berlioz (Composer), Vincenzo Bellini (Composer), Kazushi Ono (Conductor), Orchestre de L'Opera National de Lyon (Orchestra), Joyce DiDonato (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Joyce DiDonato
• Orchestra: Orchestre de L'Opera National de Lyon
• Conductor: Kazushi Ono
• Composer: Jules Massenet, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini, Charles-François Gounod, Christoph Gluck, et al.
• Audio CD (January 25, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Classics
• ASIN: B004CHURJ6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,665 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #77 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > General

Editorial Reviews

Joyce DiDonato's capacity for characterization is as astounding as the range and flexibility of her voice. This new collection showcases DiDonato's multi-faceted art, and the wealth of opportunities open to a mezzo-soprano by presenting her as different characters- both male and female- from the same opera story.

As DiDonato explains: "This recital celebrates the vast and fabulous world of the mezzo-soprano. Aside from the obvious Toscas or Cio-Cio Sans, I've never regretted the length of my vocal cords! I have the privilege and unmitigated joy of playing boys and young men, as well as girls and grown women ...
It's an exploration of the human palette of emotions."

The program features several roles that DiDonato has sung on stage, such as Rossini's Cenerentola, Bellini's Romeo, and Mozart's Cherubino. The 'flip sides' of those characters are roles that have not been featured in her repertoire: the Prince from Massenet's Cherubini; the Nurse from Berlioz's Roméo
et Juliette, and both Chérubin (from Massenet's 'sequel' to Le nozze di Figaro) and Susanna. The Figaro connection continues with an excerpt from Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina, of course, later becomes Countess Almaviva), while the other operas on the program, include La clemenza di Tito (Sesto and
Vitellia), Faust, La Damnation de Faust, Mefistofele, Orphée et Eurydice, Orfeo, and Orphée aux Enfers.

Accompanying Joyce DiDonato in this tour de force is the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon under the company's Principal Conductor Kazushi Ono, another artist who successfully embraces an extraordinary diversity of musical idioms.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Amazing and Extraordinary Joyce DiDonato! February 12, 2011

By Grady Harp HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

JOYCE DiDONATO: DIVA/DIVO as a concept for a recording is just one of the many aspects of this extraordinarily gifted artist: the creative idea of a mezzo-soprano singing both the male and female roles from operas of the same theme is an exciting and original one. Add to that that the agility and sensitivity of DiDonato's technique and glorious scope of her vocal instrument as well as her ability to inhabit every role or song of composers so completely and professionally and the thrill of this recording may begin to be understood.

Joyce DiDonato has become a true diva around the world in a relatively short time. An American singer from Kansas she has stunned the opera stages with her interpretation of many of the Rossini roles (she is now preparing Rossini's 'La Donna del Lago' to add to her repertoire). It is rare to find a singer with such flexibility over a very wide range - contralto to coloratura - and never offer anything but beautiful tone and ardor to the entire spectrum. Something that can't be completely appreciated from recordings alone is the impact she has as a stage presence: in her recent solo recital in Los Angeles she opened the program with the impossibly demanding 'Scena di Berenice' by Haydn and could have made that her sole offering for the evening, so powerful and acrobatically perfect and emotionally profound was that rarely heard scene. The remainder of her program was as creative as the opening (Chaminade, Rossini, Hahn, and some rarely heard Italian songs), interspersed with the warmest audience conversations and comments that rarely accompany a recital so demanding.

The same can be said of this fascinating program. She offers trouser roles and female heroines from various operas, matching Massenet's 'Chérubin' the same character as created by Mozart for Le Nozze di Figaro, two characters from two operas that are based on the fairy tale of Cinderella (Rossini's 'Centerentola' versus Massenet's 'Cendrillon'), 'Ariane' of Massenet with Strauss's Composer from 'Ariadne auf Naxos', and so forth. it is a very clever idea and DiDonato pulls it off with such ease and interest that audiences will find this recording being a mainstay on the CD player. Favorite arias such as 'Contro un cor' (with tenor Edgaras Montvidas as the Count) from 'The Barber of Seville' and 'Voi che sapete' are side by side with many arias with which most are completely unfamiliar. Kazushi Ono conducts the Orchestre et choeur de l'Opéra National de Lyon as a fine collaborator.

Joyce DiDonato has it all - brilliance of technique, intelligence, creativity of programming, alluring interpretations, and remarkable physical beauty. This is one of the finest collections recorded in years. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, February 11

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It doesn't get any better than this March 30, 2011

By S. A. LEWIS

Format:Audio CD

All right, when you see the city I live in next to my name, you'll realize I'm biased in favor of our home-town diva, but I believe Ms. DiDonato would be my favorite singer even if she came from New York. In contrast to one of the other critics on this site, I enjoyed the mix of the centuries as she has expanded her repertoire. I have listened the this CD several times already. There's a wonderful mix of the familiar and unfamiliar. I have attended a number of her recitals but only one live opera performance ("Cenerentola"), which ranks among the two or three most exciting opera productions I have ever seen. She never fails to deliver, in person, on CD, or DVD.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Choice Joyce October 12, 2011

By V. L. Stewart Carton

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Thoroughly wonderful listening from a superb vocalist! Beautifully rendered! This young lady deserves alot more attention from a broader audience.