Swedish-born Gitta-Maria
Sjöberg studied with Kim Borg at
the Opera Academy in Copenhagen. She
is now the leading soprano of the Royal
Danish Opera, where she had the honour
to open the new Copenhagen Opera House
in January 2005, singing Aida beside
Roberto Alagna. She has an extensive
repertoire in Italian operas, several
roles of which are represented on this
disc. She also sings Wagner (Sieglinde,
Eva), Strauss (Arabella) and Janáček
(Jenufa, Emilia Marty). As guest she
has appeared all around Europe as well
as Japan, Singapore, Săo
Paolo and Toronto.
Judging from this disc
– I have yet to hear her in the flesh
– she has a basically lyrical voice
which can grow impressively at climaxes.
Her readings are characterized by sensitive
nuances and expressive colouring of
the voice. She seems ideal as Aida with
her youthful timbre – a role that can
be too matronly when sung by a heavy
soprano, however impressive and brilliant
the voice is in itself. Ms Sjöberg
catches the anxiousness of the Ethiopian
slave girl in Ritorna vincitor
and her lyrical singing is ravishing.
The Nile aria is restrained, vulnerable
and very beautiful. She is impressive
when the voice expands at the end –
and then she scales down to a marvellous
pianissimo. Her Leonora in La forza
del destino is on the same exalted
level: deeply involved and sensitive
– in fact one of the finest readings
of the aria I have come across. Her
Amelia is tragic and noble. In Desdemona’s
Ave Maria there is a streak of
chill in the voice, foreboding death.
Elisabetta in Don Carlos is subdued,
making the dramatic high-points tell
the more.
Throughout the Verdi
section nuance and restraint are the
keywords. She has brilliance when needed
but she is never brilliant for the sake
of brilliance.
Her Puccini is in the
same mould. As a lovely Mimi she rises
to the climax il primo bacio dell’aprile
`e mio! with ease and conviction
and she is divinely sensitive in the
third act aria. She is a touching Liù,
again among the best I have heard, and
as Tosca her despair is pronounced but
not lachrymose. She is heartbroken but
still dignified when she grows in intensity
and hurls out her question Perché,
perché Signore, perché
me ne rimuneri così?
Her Manon Lescaut has
already reached the final stage of her
short traversal of life in her final
aria. There are no big theatrical gestures,
just a frail woman in agony.
Of all the tragic fates
of Puccini’s heroines Madama Butterfly’s
is perhaps the most cruel. Even more
than Aida, Cio-Cio-San must have a young
voice and Gitta-Maria Sjöberg again
demonstrates her ability to fulfil the
requirements of the diverse roles she
creates. Butterfly’s death is arguably
the most moving impersonation on this
recital.
Bigger-voiced and more
brilliantly equipped sopranos have produced
more overtly thrilling recitals with
more or less the same repertoire; few
have so consistently delved below the
surface and found the soul of the characters,
presenting them as weak, vulnerable
human creatures. For me this is probably
the most satisfying recital of its kind
in many a year. The Odense Symphony
Orchestra under Matthias Aeschbacher
provide excellent support and the recording
can’t be faulted. Playing time is unusually
generous at 77 minutes and the booklet
has bios and short introductions to
the arias. The only thing that could
be regretted is the absence of translations
of the Italian texts – not every opera-lover
is fluent in Italian. On the other hand
these are standard arias and most readers
will have the translations in one or
several versions already.
Göran Forsling
for details
Gitta-Maria Sjöberg (soprano) 
