Customer Reviews

Russian Album

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've found fault with Anna Netrebko's singing before... not because of her voice (which is extremely beautiful), but because of the repertoire, her lack of accurate coloratura (and no trill), and a feeling that she was not conveying the heart and soul of the character. But the difference between her singing of Italian repertoire and Russian repertorie is almost unbelievable.

This CD was a delight from the very first note. Not only are these Russian soprano roles perfect for her voice type, but Ms Netrebko conveyed superbly the inner personalities of the characters. Everything was there - the vulnerability of Natasha, the ecstatic innocence of the Snow Maiden, the joyous amazement and goodness of the young blind princess who is made to see for the first time through the power of love... everything.

I was enthralled by this superb recording from beginning to end. The Rachmaninov songs, too, were heavenly to listen to - I kept thinking, "Yes! This is how Zdes hauraushau should be sung! Yes!".

The colour of Anna Netrebko's voice is perfect for Russian repertoire. Her emotional connection with these roles is undeniable, and she conveys every nuance to the listener. I can scarcely wait to hear a recording of War and Peace with her in the pivotal soprano role, and what of a new recording of Eugene Onegin with Ms Netrebko as Tatyana? The Queen of Spades with Ms Netrebko as Lisa? I am convinced, after hearing this superb CD, that she would be the ideal exponent for the soprano roles of these operas.

Let me not forget the outstanding and magnificent conducting of Gergiev, and as for the orchestra! Oh! The colours of this absolutely wonderful orchestra bring so much to each and every track. The partnership between Netrebko and Gergiev is an artistic miracle.

I purchased this CD in the hopes that it would be better than Ms Netrebko's previous albums, as I thought the Russian repertoire would suit her better than bel canto. I frankly admit I didn't expect the magnificent achievement of this recording - it is far, far, far better than I'd hoped for. More of this, please! I would love to hear Ms Netrebko release more Russian repertoire, be it with orchestra or piano.

Unequivocally recommended.

Anna Netrebko loves this repertoire. It shows with every note she sings on this CD. She is paired with Maestro Valery Gergiev, himself a lover of vocal music and a tremendous exponent of Russian opera. Netrebko, Gergiev, and the musicians of the Orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre have created something very special in this CD. I love it, and think you will too.

The bookend arias on this CD are from Iolanta and Eugene Onegin. Tchaikovsky, the undisputed master of melody, captures the pathos in Iolanta's questioning, and the passion and ardor of Tatyana as she writes to her beloved. Netrebko captures both of these heroines beautifully. Not nearly enough Russian opera is produced in the United States. I hope at least some day, we can see and hear Anna sing Tatyana.

I loved the Rachmaninov songs. They are settings of poems by Pushkin, and they are absolutely beautiful. This leads me to something else that makes this CD so special. The liner notes are fantastic, with wonderful translations. Anna's Russian diction is so clear, you'll have no trouble following.

There are four arias of Rimsky-Korsakov, including one from "The Tale of Tsar Sultan", two from "The Snow Maiden", and one from "The Tsar's Bride". These are very special, since our chances of seeing these operas produced in the U.S. is slim-to-none. They are fantastic arias, with my favorite being Marfa's Act 4 aria. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the book (literally) on orchestration, and no composer could paint a picture like him.

I also found the bouncy "Cavatina and Rondo" from Glinka's "A Life for the Tsar" quite enjoyable. It's almost like an operetta aria.

This CD is a wonderful counterpoint to Renee Fleming's "I Want Magic". Renee's CD couldn't be more American, and Anna's CD couldn't be more Russian. All of the beauty, passion, and soul of Russian music is brought to life by this wonderful artist. This CD is a must for your collection.

Highly recommended.

No, there is nothing bland or boring here. This is certainly the best recital Anna Netrebko has given us. While singing Bellini or Verdi she can sound foreign, especially because she doesn't articulate consonants clearly, she is throughly idiomatic in her own language, and her opulent soprano has an almost Tebaldi-like purity. This is one of those few recitals that will be long-remembered. Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra are a perfect match. Do buy it.

All Netrebko's CDs give something unique to the ear and something special to the heart. There is no need to mention any specific aria or song from this CD, because the singing is extraordinary from the beginning to the end. "Experts" question the tessitura of her voice in bel canto singing because of its darkness. Have no fear, for Netrebko's God-given darkness makes her voice so different from all the others. To compare Netrebko to the great sopranos of the past and present is futile. She is not better but different, and that makes her unique. This CD shows her voice at its best and has nothing to do with singing in her native lunguage. The expressiveness of her voice has expanded in all directions with a heart-throbbing legato and a meteoric pianissimo, and with a phenomenal breath control. This is Netrebko's best CD and highly recommended. Once you listened to this CD, you may want to play it over and over. And each time it sounds better. And it should never be forgotten: a soprano's voice reaches its peak in mid 40s. The best has yet to come, provided that Netrebko uses her talent with patience and intelligence. Gergiev and his orchestra-sometimes a little too loud, but Netrebko cuts through victoriously- provide her with the support and nuances necessary to sustain her stellar singing.

Constantine A. Papas
El Paso, Texas

I'm a big fan of Russian music (especially Prokofiev), and I first heard Netrebko in San Francisco when she sang Betrothal in a Monastery. Wow, she has come a long way since then. This recording is to die for. Not just for her singing which is luscious, generous, and soulful throughout, but also because here she and Gerghiev bring together many beautiful Russian arias that one rarely hears in the West. They are all gorgeous! It is a "document" of Russian soprano operatic literature, a recording whose time has come, it makes a huge contribution to the recorded literature.

Hearing Anna singing in Russian is a delight. She spreads through the CD
the main Russian opera composers we are not used to hear, from Glinka, Rachmaninov, to Rimsky-Korsakoff, starting and finishing with Tchaikovsky. Her voice is more than a coloratura, besides she is an artist who performs placing the soul of the character in her voice. The quality of her swinging is remarkable.Highly recomended.

Here at last is the Anna Netrebko that has been some what missing from previous encounters on CD.This is a woman whose deep love and regard for her homeland are much in evidence from the first to the last notes .Often in reviews comments are made a the darkness of her voice ,here it is perfect and at home with the somber tones of the great land that has so much to offer the world of music .
The beautiful warmth of her vocal range gives a brilliant tapestry of sound to the album, bringing to life the various characters she portrays ,with her penultimate portrayal of Natasha in Prokofiev's War and Peace,we can only hope to see her preform it one day for western audiences.
Many feel that Anna Netrebko lacks substance ,this I feel is unfair as she has many years to go to reach her peak ,this album shows that she has the range, the talent and the intelligence to make herself one of the greatest sopranos of all time

I can only echo what other reviewers have said about this CD. It is a sure winner for many an award - Netrebko will earn more loyal fans indeed!

I haven't come across statistical records of how often beauty,in a women,meets talent,but surely this is the case. Anna's voice is a mirror image of her features: clean and seductive,yet powerful. She controls the beast(that's how I would rename "lirica",as we call opera music) to her pleasure,modulating softeness and power to perfection. If performing russian opera music was intended to be a further test to her capabilities, well singing in her mother language has only confirmed her as really outstanding. Anna has added a touch of russian romanticism to the execution of this beast.

It's easy to anticipate that an album of russian arias and songs, along with the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin, would write itself. "A charismatic young soprano, quickly soaring to heights of popularity, may have problems in the Italian repertoire, but here in her own language she is at her best." Most of the reviews for Netrebko's Russian Album follow that template, and there's no need to disagree. The comments that her voice is dark and "somewhat unbecming" make more sense in a role like Lucia di Lammamoor; in Slavic singing a certain darkness and throaty muffle are admired, and Netrebko has less of that characteristic than most, which accounts for how easily she has slipped into bel canto without sounding completely wrong. For me, the voice coloration is a mismatch with the photos of such a glamorous face, but that's neither here nor there.

I'm reminded of another beauty who had a dark voice, Anna Moffo, and I fear that her quick burnout is a trap for Netrebko, being taken up in difficult roles and too many that might not suit her. Netrebko's control is not outstanding by the classic standards of great bel canto singers; I accept the lead reviewer's criticisms in that department since she is a professional opera singer. But it has been fairly evident to us non-professionals that charisma and beauty have produced a good deal of Netrebko's eclat so far.

What surprises me is that in Russian she is a somewhat cool, reserved singer, and her portrayals seem to stand outside the music. That is very different (and perhaps intentional?) compared to the gusty and gutsy style of Soviet singing we got used to in the postwar era. I appreciate the delicacy, and yet listening to the selection I'm most familiar with, Tatiana's Letter Scene, I found Netrebko less engaged and affecting than I expected. Every item here is lyrical and refined, yet it was hard to listen form beginning to end without finding a certain sameness to the singer's approach. Not that I am an expert or even an aficionado of Russian opera beyond a small handful. I came to her Russian album expecting to have my interest piqued by marvelous new things, but that didn't happen.