It was in February 2008 that I
reviewed Diana Damrau’s first solo CD, ‘Arie di bravura’ which
was my
Recording of the Month. A year later she issued a Mozart
disc, ‘Donna’ which also was given a very positive reception, but I noted
some, what I called, ‘wear and tear’ on her beautiful voice (
review). Two years ago I was again overwhelmed by her
‘Forever’ programme, with operetta, Broadway musical and some film songs and
then her voice seemed in perfect order (
review).
On the present album, recorded less than a year ago, there has crept in a
slightly annoying vibrato that I hadn’t noticed before. It may be a result
of her gradually taking on somewhat heavier roles; it may have been a
temporary inhibition during that second September week in Torino. Otherwise
her hallmarks are there as before: the beautiful tone, her brilliance up
high, her often magical pianissimo singing and her fluent coloratura. What
is also apparent is her unwillingness or inability to distinguish the
various characters from each other – it is basically the same individual who
is singing. Admittedly the recital format is difficult; it is much easier to
create a specific character in the context of a performance of the complete
work, whether under live conditions or in a studio recording. In the Bellini
excerpts this doesn’t matter much: Elvira and Amina are more or less the
same kind of person, even though
La sonnambula has a happy end —
and
Ah! Non giunge is certainly joyous. Both scenes are also
expertly sung and there is great warmth in
Qui la voce. The
Donizetti heroines are also more or less interchangeable, and it is
well-known that the aria from
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra in the
19
th century was substituted for
Regnava nel silenzio in
Lucia di Lammermoor. I have to say, though, that Maria Stuarda is a
lot more than a two-dimensional cardboard character – one of the most
individual portraits in any
bel canto opera. Even though Damrau
doesn’t colour her voice differently she invests the role with tangible
intensity and power in this key-scene, when the two queens are about to
meet. Nicole Brandolino is a good dark-tinted Anna.
Amalia in
I masnadieri, a role written for Jenny Lind, is also a
nondescript character – the opera as such is not ranked among Verdi’s best,
not even among the operas from his galley-years. However the aria is a good
one even so and Damrau delivers wonderful assured singing. Noseda is also
careful with the orchestral sonorities, not least the woodwind writing at
the opening of the recitative. Overall he draws excellent playing from his
Torino forces.
Damrau is at her very best in the big scene that concludes the first act
of
La traviata. Here she covers all Violetta's changes of
emotions, but those emotions are not allowed to take over so much as to
distort the musical line. Piotr Beczala’s Alfredo is ardent but his tone is
uncharacteristically strident. Anyway this is an inviting taster for the
complete
La traviata with Diana Damrau, scheduled for release in
autumn 2015.
In the dramatic scene from
Luisa Miller she is partnered by her
husband, bass-baritone Nicolas Testé as a nasty Wurm. The involvement in
Luisa’s fate is just as strong as her Violetta.
We come finally to her forays into verismo repertoire. Here I would have
expected her to sing Musetta, but instead we get a warm and inward
D’onde lieta usci – Mimi’s aria from the third act of
La
bohème. The voice is still Musetta’s but the character is Mimi. There
may have been more glittering readings of
Stridono lassù from
Pagliacci and also some more heft but by and large it is a worthy
contribution.
Though not quite in the class of her singing on her debut album and
“Forever” this is still an issue with many merits and Diana Damrau’s many
admirers shouldn’t hesitate.
Göran Forsling
Previous review:
Michael Cookson
Track listing
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797 – 1848)
Rosmonda d’Inghilterra (1834):
1.
Ancor non giunse [2:39]
2.
Perché non ho del vento [2:50]
3.
Torna, torna, o caro oggetto [3:19]
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801 – 1835)
I puritani (1835):
4.
O rendetemi la speme [1:37]
5.
Qui la voce sua soave [2:58]
6.
Vien, diletto [4:59]
Gaetano DONIZETTI
Maria Stuarda (1835):
7.
Allenta il piè, Regina [3:28]
8.
O nube! Che lieve per l’aria [4:07]
9.
Nella pace del mesto riposo [3:07]
Vincenzo BELLINI
La sonnambula (1831):
10.
Oh! Se una volta sola [5:13]
11.
Ah! Non credea mirarti [4:06]
12.
Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero [3:20]
Giuseppe VERDI (1813 – 1901)
I masnadieri (1847):
13.
Venerabile, o padre [2:04]
14.
Lo sguardo avea degli angeli [3:43]
La traviata (1853):
15.
È strano! ... È strano [1:12]
16.
Ah, fors’è lui [5:21]
17.
Follie! Follie! [1:03]
18.
Sempre libera [3:49]
Luisa Miller (1849):
19.
Il padre tuo [3:23]
20.
Tu puniscimi, o Signore [2:42]
21.
Qui nulla s’attenta [1:55]
22.
A brani, a brani, o perfido [3:32]
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858 – 1924]
La bohème (1896):
23.
D’onde lieta uncì [3:16]
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857 – 1919)
Pagliacci (1892):
24.
Qual fiamma avea nel guardo! [5:01]
