Sempre Libera

Vincenzo Bellini (Composer), Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Giuseppe Verdi (Composer), Andrea Concetti (Conductor), Claudio Abbado (Conductor), Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra), Anna Netrebko (Performer), Sara Mingardo (Performer), Sascha Reckert (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Anna Netrebko, Sara Mingardo, Sascha Reckert
• Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Andrea Concetti, Claudio Abbado
• Composer: Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi
• Audio CD (August 10, 2004)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000295TXC
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,875 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Anna Netrebko's second CD is even more impressive than her first. She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she's working at it and presents here a very satisfying---even thrilling---program. She doesn't quite have the stature or insights for Verdi's Violetta yet, but aside from some smudged coloratura in low-lying passages she sings the first act scene quite well (capped with a well-placed, big E-flat). She's close to ideal in the Sonnambula and Puritani excerpts, where her girlishness is entirely right, her coloratura dazzling, and her ability to sound tearful really impressive. The Lucia Mad Scene (also notable here for its use of the glass harmonica for which it was composed in place of the usual flute) is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be. And although she's not vocally suited to Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria, she does manage to darken her voice to fit the character and presents a very moving portrait. The CD ends with an utterly charming "O mio babbino caro." Artistry and everything else aside, her voice is just beautiful. Claudio Abbado's leadership is ideal. --Robert Levine

Product Description

NETREBKO ANNA / ABBADO / MAHLER CH. O. SEMPRE LIBERA

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Voice, Beautiful Woman, Beautiful Recording, July 27, 2005

By 

William L. Klingelhoffer "Klingelhorn" (San Francisco,CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sempre Libera (Audio CD)

I play for the Opera Orchestra here in San Francisco and have had the pleasure of hearing Anna Netrebko many times live. We heard her here first before anyone else in the US. She is a great artist with an astonishingly pure, clear, agile, unforced, lovely tone; she is drop dead gorgeous, and she seems to have a sweet personality. (Although I have not spoken to her except to say how much I enjoyed her singing.)

Recently I needed to buy new speakers for my living room, so I took her CD Sempre Libera to Harmony Audio here in SF and played it as a speaker demo. It is fantastic. Anna sounds great as usual, but Claudio Abbado and the orchestra accompany her beautifully and the recorded sound is magnificent from Deutsche Gramophon. I don't know if it is a good speaker demo because it sounds great on everything, but I bought speakers and I am very happy with them. Bravo to Anna and to everyone involved! Anna, I hope we see and hear you in San Francisco again soon.

49 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another beautiful recording, August 31, 2004

By 

Walter Fekula (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sempre Libera (Audio CD)

Deutsche Grammophon has again pulled out all the stops for the second album of a planned five for the already risen diva, Anna Netrebko. I thought that the award-winning first album would be difficult to top, but the maturing voice of Ms. Netrebko just gets better and better. What a lush and beautiful coloratura. The range of her lustrous voice is amazing with high e-flats sung with apparent effortlessness and her bottoms without any strain. Her interpretation runs the gamut of emotion and the Ave Maria from Otello brings tears. The repertoire is all from six well-known Italian operas from Bellini to Puccini. The orchestra more than ably conducted by Claudio Abbado also has some excellent soloists who hold their own. I was going to complain about the length and was surprised that it is almost 70 minutes in length, testimony to its beauty. The brochure is very well done as it contains a full translation of the arias, the names of all the artists and some stunning photographs of the captivating Anna. Oh my, it just does not get any better. Artists that have it all come only once in a lifetime. I fail to understand why the Metropolitan Opera, unlike the other major houses in the world, is not offering her the meaty roles. She is much worthier than the Musetta and Zerlina she is being offered. Two CDs from this very gifted Russian artist. Three to go. Not one Russian aria, yet. Patience, patience. Maybe next year.

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous but who cares?, March 10, 2006

By 

CRichards in NYC (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sempre Libera (Audio CD)

Let's get this right out in the open - YES Anna is drop-dead gorgeous! Yes she has a gorgeous voice. However in my opinion, she's TOTALLY out of her element on this disc. She is singing almost all the WRONG repertoire.

Shall we start with the Amazon.com review above? "She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she's working at it..." Excuse me? Why the heck is she getting her own recital disc. Many, many artists are "working at it" in lessons, in small productions, why does she get to perfect her craft on the world stage? Oh yea, she's beautiful. Next, "She doesn't quite have the stature or insights for Verdi's Violetta yet..." Why is she singing it? Then, "The Lucia Mad Scene...is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be..." What? This is one of the most famous coloratura pieces ever, if you can't sing it, then DON'T! My favorite, "Artistry and everything else aside..." WHAT!!!??? Yikes! I will disagree here, "And although she's not vocally suited to Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria..." I feel she's absolutely more in her element on these pieces.

Anna is a full lyric soprano, she should be singing Mimi, Butterfly, lyric Mozart and some French repertoire, not this coloratura rep. Her runs are atrocious, her pitch is far from perfect, and her top is quite thin compared to the rest of her voice. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy! Whoever has her singing this rep should be fired immediately.

Unfortunately, she's the "IT" girl of the moment (and most likely for years to come), this year the Met has her singing Gilda in Rigoletto (which I saw - sloppy, but beautiful and NO top notes), and Norina in Don Pasquale. Next year she's singing Elvira in I Puritani (EEK!! The thought of this is truly freightening - Elvira is ALL coloratura), but luckily she'll be singing her first Mimi (whew!). Future seasons have her in War and Peace (better) and Romeo and Juliette (good). Hopefully she'll trend toward these roles as she grows, I say wait for that disc. If you want GREAT coloratura, get anything with Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills, or Natalie Dessay (Currently the best coloratura on the planet!). I don't hate Anna, I like her very much, I just think she'd be better suited singing different rep.