NATALIE DESSAY - ITALIAN OPERA ARIAS

Concerto Köln & Evelino Pidò

 

Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901

La Traviata - Violetta

1.  E strano!... Ah, forse è lui 6.05

2.  Follie! Follie... Sempre libera 4.45

Roberto Alagna Alfredo

 

Vicenzo Bellini

I puritani - Elvira

3.  rendetemi la speme 2.08

4.  Qui la voce sua soave 9.03

5.  Vien diletto 5.26

Franck Ferrari - Riccardo, Matthew Rose - Giorgio

 

Gaetano Donizetti

Maria Stuarda* - Maria Stuarda

6.  Allenta il piè, Regina 3.51

7.  Oh nube che lieve 3.35

8.  Nella pace del mesto riposo 3.02

Karine Deshayes Anna

 

Giuseppe Verdi

Rigoletto* - Gilda

9.   Gualtier Maldé... Caro nome 6.44

Roberto Alagna Borsa, Franck Ferrari Marullo, Matthew Rose Ceprano

 

Vicenzo Bellini

I Capuleti e i Montecchi - Giulietta

10.   Eccomi in lieta vesta 5.48

11.   Oh! quante volte 4.01

 

Gaetano Donizetti

Lucia di Lammermoor*† -  Lucia

12.  Eccola... Il dolce suono 6.41

13.  Ardon gli incensi 4.52

14.  S’avanza Enrico 2.57

15.  Spargi d’amaro pianto 4.17

Franck Ferrari Enrico, Matthew Rose Raimondo, Wolfgang Klose Normanno

 

Total Running Time: 73.25

 

Natalie Dessay soprano

*Europäischer Kammerchor

chorus master Michael Reif

Concerto Köln / Evelino Pidò

†Sascha Reckert glass harmonica

 

Natalie Dessay’s career is at a major turning point, both in terms of her growing fame world-wide (each of her performances is a phenomenal success) and the repertoire she tackles today. Formerly specialising in roles that called for that special coloratura quality, her voice has matured and is ready to meet the different demands of the bel canto repertoire, that of the great Italian opera heroines.

 

This is a much-awaited album, as it has been a 3 years since Natalie has recorded a recital disc of great operatic arias, the last recital album being “Amor”, a programme of arias, lieder and scenes by Richard Strauss released in 2004.

 

To accompany Natalie the first-rate baroque orchestra, the Concerto Köln, under the direction of Evelino Pidò, with whom Natalie has a special musical affinity. A very noteworthy asset to the famous aria of the Mad Scene (Lucia): the flute is here replaced by the glass harmonica, which accentuates the eeriness of the heroine’s downfall into folly.

 

The album also features performances from Roberto Alagna, Karine Desayes, Matthew Rose and Franck Ferrari.

 

One of Natalies recent releases, a CD compilation and DVD of her best moments on stage ‘Miracle of the Voice’, are a world-wide success reaching 185,000 CD copies ww, and 60,000 DVDs sold ww in June 07.

 

“A star soprano? A fine actress? Dessay certainly ticks all the boxes…” Gramophone

 

“Ms. Dessay treats opera like a form of theatre in which acting and singing are one.” The Times

 

“[…] as always with Dessay, what you see and hear on stage is far more than an astonishing light coloratura voice. […] the singing is always at the service of creating a character. She is that rare total package -- a performer whose every move, every gesture, every vocal inflection, seems utterly natural.” New York Times

 

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