Elina Garanca - Aria Cantilena

Jacques Offenbach (Composer), Jules Massenet (Composer), Richard Strauss (Composer), Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Ruperto Chapi y Lorenta (Composer), Xavier Montsalvatge (Composer), Heitor Villa-Lobos (Composer), Fabio Luisi (Conductor), Dresden Staatskapelle (Orchestra), Elina Garanca (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Elina Garanca
• Orchestra: Dresden Staatskapelle
• Conductor: Fabio Luisi
• Composer: Jacques Offenbach, Jules Massenet, Richard Strauss, Gioachino Rossini, Ruperto Chapi y Lorenta, et al.
• Audio CD (February 13, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000JFZ9ES
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,585 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #61 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Villa-Lobos, Heitor

Track Listings

1. CHAPI: The Daughters of Zebedeo Carceleras (Luisa): "Al pensar en el dueno de mis amores"

2. MASSENET: Werther Letter Scene (Charlotte): "Werther, Werther"

3. OFFENBACH: The Tales of Hoffmann No. 15 Romance (Nicklausse): "C'est l'amour vainqueur"

4. ROSSINI: Cinderella Rondo finale (Cenerentola): "Nacqui all'affanno..."

5. VILLA-LOBOS: Bachianas brasileiras no. 5 "Aria-Cantilena"

6. OFFENBACH: La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein No.3a Choer, Recit et Rondeau (La Grande-Duchesse): "Ah! que j'aime les militaires"

7. ROSSINI: The Italian Girl in Algiers No. 11 Cavatina (Isabella): "Per lui che adoro"

8. MONTSALVATGE: Madrigal on a Folksong

9. STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier Trio & Duet(Octavian): "`Marie Theres'!""Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein"

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanča has quickly reached the top rank internationally. Her debut album for Deutsche Grammophon covers an unusually varied repertoire, sung in five languages. Besides the operatic material, Garanča includes a zarzuela aria, a Spanish song, and Villa-Lobos's ever-popular "Aria (Cantilena)" from Bachianas Basileiras no. 5 (hence the album's title). At any speed or dynamic level through a wide range, Garanča negotiates everything effortlessly. Such complete technical command is impressive, especially in such a young singer. It would have been even more exciting, however, to have that technique serve a truly individual vocal timbre and a specific, meaningful delivery of the words. Where are fervent Nicklausse, anguished Charlotte, sexy Isabella, and warm-hearted Cenerentola? These very different personalities come to life only intermittently in their arias. The Villa-Lobos (where Garanča isn't portraying a character and sings frequently on just "Ah") registers most strongly. DG gives Garanča terrific colleagues for the Rosenkavalier trio (sopranos Adrianne Pieczonka and Diana Damrau), magnificent support from the Staatskapelle Dresden under Fabio Luisi, and a CD booklet with eight photos of the glamorous young star. Promising she certainly is, but she still has some distance to travel artistically to deserve this kind of attention. --Roger Pines

Product Description

The young mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca has quickly established herself as one of the music world's newest stars through her performances with leading opera theaters and symphony orchestras around the world. She has captured critical and popular acclaim for her beautiful voice, intelligent musicianship, and compelling stage portrayals. For her debut recording on Deutsche Grammophon, Aria Cantilena, Elina Garanca has selected some of her favorite arias and scenes from current and future stage roles--ranging from the coloratura tour-de-force of Rossini's Cenerentola to the sparkling wit of Offenbach's Grande-Duchesse to the emotional intensity of Charlotte's "Letter Scene" from Massenet's Werther.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful mezzo voice, December 9, 2007

By 

Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elina Garanca - Aria Cantilena (Audio CD)

Elina Garanca displays a lush, rich mezzo voice in this CD. She also shows strong coloratura technique and handles the bel canto repertoire with aplomb. The liner notes have her mentioning that some have suggested that she might try the soprano repertoire; however, her mezzo portfolio is superb, and I hope that she stays there.

A few representative cuts from this CD.

Chapi, "Al pensar en el dueno de mis amores" (from "The Daughters of Zebedeo"). The first cut on this CD immediately introduces the listener to her rich mezzo soprano voice. This is an animated piece, and she handles it with great agility in her singing. As the pace picks up more toward the end, she picks up her pace, too. Well sung.

Offenbach, "Vois sous l'archet fremmisant" (from "The Tales of Hoffmann"). This is a more poignant song, and slower paced. Garanca plays Hoffmann's younger friend (a male) and sings of love. A poignant piece sung poignantly. She shows good range from lower to higher notes in her singing, and finishes with a nicely executed high note.

Rossini, "Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto" (from "La Cenerentola"). Very nice agile singing here! She displays nice coloratura technique. In the closing portion, she does very well indeed, concluding with a nice high note. Her voice does not quite soar over the ensemble toward the end, but--overall--a very nicely done work. Much fun to listen to!

Rossini, "Per lui che adoro" (from "L'Italiana in Algeri"). Another well sung work, once more illustrating her rich voice and once more showing off excellent technique.

All in all, a most enjoyable CD. She joins a number of excellent mezzo sopranos in the current era (including Vivica Genaux, Magdalena Kozena, and so on), and holds her own in comparison with them.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GORGEOUS..........................., July 30, 2008

By 

Robert C. Hufford (Hopewell, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elina Garanca - Aria Cantilena (Audio CD)

...The girl....the voice...the production....EVERYTHING... I bought this after being well impressed with Elina on You Tube, and I was absolutely blown away. This is one of the finest releases by a relatively new singer in a long time. Yes, I know this is not her first record, and she's past 30, but she's just now hitting her stride....

Some cuts are better known than others...the recitative and aria "non piu mesta", from Rossini's "La Cenerentola" is, for me, the highlight. The "Werther" selection is fabulous, and the "Der Rosenkavalier" excerpt is worth the price of the whole thing.

Elina has a pure, clean, voice, with a strong, even, register...high notes a soprano could envy, and if not the strongest bottom register, still one that never breaks. I realize my self-admitted weakness for gorgeous blondes with low voices; allow for it, but grab this recording, and prepare to fall in love.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great from start to finish, March 29, 2007

By 

Kyle E. Lockhart "zombieboy" (Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elina Garanca - Aria Cantilena (Audio CD)

I bought this and listened through it once and thought it was just "okay." However, after listening more I think I was out of my mind not to realize the first second I heard this voice that it was something special. I am familiar with all the pieces on the disc and can say her versions stand up with the best. I would highly suggest getting this disc.