Customer Reviews

Kiri Te Kanawa: Verdi & Puccini

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

 

 

I absolutely love this compilation. I listened to it for 6 hours straight the day I bought it, and for a great price too! Kiri has one of the most gorgeous, lush, "juicy" soprano voices I have EVER heard, and this album contains all the right arias to showcase it. What more, Kiri was in her prime when she recorded them. Every selection exhibits her thrilling high notes and fine interpretive skills. I agree with a previous reviewer- you gotta listen to her E Strano. One of the finest I've ever heard. It is second only to Beverly Sills'. Other excellent interpretations include "Tu che le vanita" from Don Carlo and "Timor di me-D'amor sulli'ali rosee" from Il Trovatore (what emotions!). The Vissi Darte is very noteworthy (there are those juicy tones again!), as is Doretta's aria and O Mio Babbino Caro. So many sopranos have sung the latter aria, but I always come back to this one (as well as that sung by Tebaldi) as a standard of exceptional delivery. There is a bonus of an aria completely out of Kiri's repertoire: Un bel di from Madama Butterfly. As difficult as this aria is, Kiri triumphs through with flying colors. Check out the high B flat at the end! Whew! If that's not thrilling, I don't know what is!

This album is wonderful! Te Kanawa graces the music with her beautiful, rich voice. Her high notes are out of this world, and her high stacatto notes are as good as any coloratura. Totally moving, great orchestra, and if you haven't heard Kiri's 'E Strano - ah, fors e liu' you're missing out on the experience of a lifetime!

This is indeed a very beautiful album, however the sound quality is poor--sometimes you have to turn the sound way up to hear and then it gets too loud and harsh, so you have to turn it back down. This is unfortunate because the singing and orchestrations are so wonderful.