Customer Reviews

Sings Verdi & Donizetti

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4 star:		(1)
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This cd was recorded in the early 1990's, when Carol Vaness was at her prime vocally. The Donizetti selection is Anna Bolena's final "Mad scene." This is the only Donizetti selection in this recording, with the rest being from the operas of Giuseppe Verdi.

Vocally and dramatically, Vaness was in splendid form in this recording, although the legato lines could have been better sustained with a stronger breath support.

The selections from Anna Bolena and Il Trovatore are stunning, with beautiful floated pianissimi and strong top notes. Vaness' darkish soprano (so wonderfully suited to Mozart), was employed intelligently and with great dramatic intensity throughout this cd. Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene is incredible in the way Ms. Vaness employed the darker overtones of her voice to convey the character's madness and emotional unraveling; alas, she did not take the final high D flat, but her singing of this aria is quite breathtaking and a wonderful document of what Ms. Vaness could do at her best. Her singing of the selections from La Traviata is equally wonderful and expressive, especially the scena "E strano." She opted not to take the optional high E flat at the end of "Sempre libera," and her "Willow Song" from Otello is missing some of the floated quality one hears in Tebaldi or Caballe, but other than these minor quibbles, this CD is a must for any fan of Ms. Vaness.

The conducting, from Roberto Abbado, is acceptable, though not exceptional. The chorus in Il Trovatore's "Miserere" is painfully slow, lacking the dramatic intensity of the scene, and the tempi employed in "Sempre libera" were at times a tad too sluggish.

Nonetheless, get this CD (look around the net if you can't find one) if you are a fan of Ms. Vaness, for it is a wonderful souvenir of her artistry.

Jeff

I just bought this recording and I am still blown away, Carol Vaness' voice still echoing in my ears and in my mind. What a sensation she must be to see in person on the stage. I have never had the pleasure. On this recording album, recorded in the 90's, we are treated to great opera in the dramatic and bel canto tradition- Donizetti and Verdi. While Verdi broke away from bel canto later on in his career as composer, he was deeply influenced by the sheer tonal beauty and glory that was to be found in the works of the masters- Bellini and Donizetti. Bel Canto, if sung and performed right, is supremely dramatic. It's a night of absolute drama. This is the case with Donizetti's Ana Bolena, the story of Anne Boylen and her beheading by the infamous Henry the 8th. Carol Vaness sings the finale to this great opera- Anne Boylen's Mad Scene. "Coppia Iniquia", the final aria, is a difficult, taxing dramatic piece for any soprano taking on this role. Maria Callas, as always, is hailed as a fine interpreter of this role, but other singers made the role equally as thrilling through sheer will power and artistry -Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills. But Vaness! My God, she is on fire, she is raging, she is fighting to live, she is bemoaning he fate in such an incredibly dramatic and vocal manner that it blows you away. She's got a big, rich, full sound with beautiful and even plangent sound. Not surprisingly, Carol Vaness, who looked a bit like Maria Callas (as did Teresa Stratas) sings the heck out of most of the roles Callas performed - Violetta, Lady Macbeth, and Leonora. Lady Macbeth's Mad Scene is a tour de force at the hands, or should I say in the vocal chords, of Miss Vaness. Just listen to the eerie, almost melancholy manner in which she sings "Una Macchia e que tuttora"- she makes the aria sound beautiful and strange, like Lady Macbeth must look as she sleepwalks. And the way she sings the line "maledetta". Just listen to it. It's sheer artistry. She joins the ranks of the great Lady Macbeths that were Callas and Rysanek. As Leonora in Il Trovatore, she is a force of nature and she is easily the equal of Leontyne Price. This album should hook you into opera and of course Carol Vaness.

This recording showcases soprano Carol Vaness'greatest roles in compelling arias from Donizetti's Anna Bolena, Verdi's Traviata, Otello and Trovatore. The roles of Anna Bolena, Violetta, Desdemona, Lady Macbeth and Leonora (and not featured here- Puccin's Tosca) are doubtless her greatest roles. On stage, Carol Vaness did indeed resemble Maria Callas but she had a powerful and electrifying style all her own which won her fame and critical acclaim worldwide. This recording luckily finds her in her vocal prime. It is now that her voice is losing its radiant lustre. But here, she is captured in glorious voice and technical musical brilliance. She is passionate and raging in the final aria from Donizetti's Anna Bolena "Coppia Iniquia" and this interpretation has echoes of Calla's portrayal. I wholly support the other review on this and other points. Her Violetta from Traviata was apparently met with opposition and challenges. It was a role she sang at the Met but was told was not in her league. Carol Vaness is the most recent example of lyrico-spinto in other words a soprano with a big, juicy voice and dramatic thrust, quite like the vocal range of Leontyne Price, who sang the roles Vaness took on- Tosca, Lady Macbeth and Leonora. It is just as fair to liken Vaness' voice to Leontyne's voice, though of course both sopranos have distinctive differences. Carol Vaness is also a champion of old, rare works. She sang in Albeniz'opera Merlin in a production that is available on DVD. She also sang in Mozart's Idomeneo and in Verdi's obscure opera Arnoldo. Without a doubt, this recording is her all-time best work and any fan should rush to order it. It's highly affordable, too. Cheap, even. And the recording is terrific.