JENNIFER LARMORE

 

Great Operatic Arias, Volume 18

 

Jennifer Larmore (mezzo-soprano) Susan Patterson (soprano) Fflur Wyn (soprano) Colin Lee (tenor)

Philharmonic Orchestra / David Parry

 

Jennifer Larmore is an outstanding American mezzo-soprano who made her intitial operatic success in Europe and turned into international stardom. In a career of twenty years Larmore has traversed the whole gamut of the operatic repertoire, from the Baroque to the contemporary, and proved herself amongst the most popular and admired of American singers. Brian Kellow described her as “one of our most spirited and technically accomplished coloratura singers”.

 

Known for excelling in the coloratura roles of the baroque and bel canto repertoire, she can be heard on over seventy CDs to date, which has earned her the distinction of being the most recorded mezzo-soprano of all time.

 

She presents her first operatic arias disc on Chandos Opera in English with a wide range of composers, performing works from Donizetti’s La favorita, Cilea’s Adriana Lecourvreur, Rossini’s Tancredi, Rienzi by Wagner, Romeoand Juliet by Gounod and Mozart’s Don Giovanni to name but a few! As well as solo arias she also performs a number of duets and is joined on the disc by Susan Patterson, Fflur Wyn and Colin Lee – all familiar names on the Chandos Opera in English label.

 

Versatility is perhaps Larmore’s over-riding quality, and this CD certainly show this clearly. This is an excellent addition to the Great Operatic arias collection and will certainly attract more admirers to Jennifer Larmore.

 

Jennifer Larmore’s sure and defiant mezzo was ideal…

Richard Fairman

 

Chandos CHAN3142