Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca, Gianandrea Noseda, Wiener Philharmoniker, Hector Berlioz - Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias

Here, a year after her sensational Metropolitan debut as Prokofiev’s Natasha from War and Peace, comes the debut solo recital album of 30-something soprano Anna Netrebko. She hails from southern Russia, and her emergence from the life of a conservatory student has a touch of the Cinderella tale—the bit, that is, about being discovered by Gergiev mopping floors for the Kirov as a part-time job and making her way into the Kirov's ranks. Later she became a favorite at San Francisco Opera, trying on for size a swath of comic and dramatic roles. Opera Arias parades Netrebko's way through a spectrum of vocal styles and characters. This mesmerizing lyric soprano engages--at times thrillingly grips--the listener with an imagination far greater than the disc's title (couldn't someone have dreamt up a less ridiculously bland handle?), but most significantly leaves an impression that the enterprise here isn't merely about singing. Netrebko's Ilia and Donna Anna are flesh-and-blood characters in real situations, as Mozart wanted them to be. The results are a bit more uneven with her bel canto heroines, where the required balance between Netrebko's emotional identification, so obviously a forte, and the musical phrasing thereof is a delicate one. Her shading of Lucia's mood swings, vocal and emotional, isn't consistently compelling. On the other hand, Netrebko uncovers gemlike facets not just in Gounod's "Jewel Song" but particularly in her stunning, passionately realized and beautifully phrased Manon (even if her trills disappoint). A shame that samples of her Russian repertory are missing here, though Netrebko's "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Rusalka concentrates and sets a mood with enviable mastery. Netrebko's musical intelligence and theatrical savvy seem destined to ensure her a magnificent career, so it's no surprise that many fans are already clamoring for more than the tease of an aria collection. --Thomas May Amazon.com

Wonderful recording of a fabulous voice

In this recording, Anna Netrebko justifies all the kudos she has received in the past several years. I have several other CD's featuring her, and this one shows her range which is astonishing. I look forward to hearing her when she finishes her maternity leave and once again is on the stage or in the recording studio. September 16, 2008

Anna is an absolute treasure...........

Gorgeous. Sexy. Pop-star charisma. And the voice of an angel...a strong one. This album was her debut seven years ago; she's done a bit of developing since then, and would now be well classified as a lyric soprano.

My favorites here were the excerpts from "Lucia" and "Manon", as well as "Musetta's Waltz". The Mozart really didn't fit. "Traviata" is her forte; ditto "La Boheme" [either soprano part]. I hope she stays away from some of the heavier stuff...Desdemona, Leonore [both], Norma. [Sleep well, Rosa; you're safe].

Anna is an opera singer with rock-star looks and drawing power...she was a work in progress seven years ago, and, really, still is. Grab this [and her duet disc with Villazon], and see what the fuss is about. July 24, 2008

Just another soprano

She's not a true coloratura, at least not a very good one. I have and love her "sempre libera" album. Her mad scene from Lucia (though she slides to the 1st top note) made me involuntarily think the word "magnificent!". But in this album (and on reflection, the other one too), she's just a soprano. A very good one, but she's no Tetrazzini or Mesple or Sutherland or Jo. She belongs in Verdi, not in Donizetti. On the other hand, if all you want is good straight singing (Rosa Ponselle), and don't care about the ornamentation and pyrotechnics, you will probably like this album. I was disappointed. January 19, 2008

A feast of surprises, even on familiar tunes

I'm not a big opera fan -- have listened sporadically for decades. Every once in a while I newly discover a singer, or a crop of them, and that spurs me to rediscover the wonders of the repertoire. Listening to Anna Nebrebko reminds me of the experience I had when Montserrat Caballe burst on the scene, which will date me for the knowledgeable reader (who will also realize I'm 8 or 10 years behind the present wave with the present singer). This CD presents warhorses as well as some repertoire that's both a little more arcane and more challenging, all from the lyrical and/or bel canto world. Although the performances are not perfect, every moment is gorgeous, and not just the singing. It takes me hours to listen to this CD as well as her "Sempre Libera" because each excerpt is some variety of showstopper. I generally prefer another species of soprano voice (Natalie Dessay), even in the repertoire here, but for those who love a dark, dramatic, and most often very agile voice, you can't go wrong with this collection. I dismiss quibbles about her pronunciation in non-Slavic languages; her dramatic sense does not flag, at least for me, and her vowels have a musical value that merely starts with the language. I highly recommend this CD. October 30, 2007

Beautifully Captivating!

Unlike the passion, intimacy, and beautiful tone Netrebko brought to the Russian Album, the Opera Arias miss these wonderful qualities. There's room at the top for a new operatic power couple and the glamorous Netrebko and rising Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon are desperate to seize. I confess that there is an element of conviction in Netrebko's voice, a significant figure in Russia for more than a decade. No sooner had she arrived on the world stage, her "hype" started describing her as the new Callas, which she isn't, and suspect will never be. She may have the temperament of Callas and her petulance, but vocally the comparison just is not there! In the magnificant arias from Mozart to Puccini, Netrebko shows a lack of being able to convey the utmost of subtleties, and injecting every aria with the personality of the character she was assuming. Netrebko crashes through everything, with a glorious voice capable of conveying the the justice of both dramatic and lyric arias, but with minimal vocal characterization. Netrebko is at times very capable of expressing genuine emotion in her singing as heard in the Russian CD with music from her homeland. Netrebko is capable of becoming a most formidable artist if she continues to learn; especially if she works hard on the Italian and French repertoire as she demonstrates in her Russian work, and with the watchful direction of the Marlinsky's Valery Gergiev. In that regard it's encouraging to hear she's preparing for an important Bellini run at the Met with Renata Scotto. Her Russian aria was fine, but her Gounod aria seems to wash away from its inner qualities, not helped by some disturbing French.
Netrebko is without doubt, an inspiring, extremely talented artist, and with the experience and maturity her voice will command in the future, she will rise to the occasion of becoming one of the world's greatest 21st century singers!
August 30, 2007

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