Elbphilharmonie

Top Classical January 13, 2022

Elbphilharmonie

The Hamburg’s treasure

Top Classical, February 2022
On Friday, November 4, 2016 the city of Hamburg was jumping of joy when at last, after a long bumpy journey the Elbphilharmonie was officially handed to the mayor, Olaf Scholz. The costs, since the idea was approved in 2005 until the completion of the works, grew 1000%, going from 77 million euros at that time, to 790 million today.

For the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog (1950) and Pierre de Meuron (1950), both born in Basel, the Elbphilharmonie is the most outstanding construction of the new century so far. The team is also the author of brilliant works like the Tate Modern in London, the oscillating university library of Cottbus or the football stadium in the shape of a tire from Munich.

As many cultural emblems, this German monument also has a nickname: Elphi. It is a glass and steel complex built over a historic warehouse for coffee, tea and cocoa based one of the docks of the colossal port of Hamburg. The slender construction includes a large concert hall with capacity for 2,100 spectators; a smaller room for chamber recitals (550); and a wide Plaza that serves a social meeting point for the public before the concert starts. At 80 meters in length, the escalator that leads to the upper floors is the longest in Europe.

The opening concert took place on January 11th, 2017 by the NDR Orchestra – Elbphilharmonie, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock among emotional tears from some of the musicians who felt overwhelmed by the sentimental importance of the event. 

However, not everything turned out great for this astonishingly beautiful hall. The Japanese specialist Yasuhisa Toyota was in charge of the acoustic design. Ten thousand diffuser panels, made with a mixture of ground rock (from Bavaria) and cellulose pulp (recycled paper and cardboard waste), line the room to achieve a better sound distribution. 

Unfortunately the acoustics of the Elbhilharmonie in Hamburg have had major problems since it was inaugurated. The problem seems to be that the sound of the large auditorium is so sensitive and precise that every little noise (as paper wrapper of a candy) gets magnified, which causes that an orchestra can easily cover a singer voice preventing it from reaching some sectors of the venue. This was exactly what happened the concert of the Basel Symphony Orchestra with Kaufmann. 

In the middle of the recital and when Kaufmann was singing Das Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler, a lady from the audience stood up and snapped at the tenor: Mr. Kaufmann we can’t hear you from here; a moment later another spectator was also complaining about the same problem. Some also moved around the room, quickly looking for a better place causing a big chaos on the hall. The reaction by the hall managers was prompt. The prize of the entrance tickets was lowered tickets with immediate effect for those less fortunate sectors of the room. 

Ironically, and with the exception of a few large orchestras that have not yet done so, almost everyone wants to perform at the Elphilharmonie. But is a matter of prestige more than adequacy what moves this will.   

The architectural beauty (designed by the Swiss studio Herzog & Meuron) and the acoustic exquisiteness of the Japanese engineer Yasuhisa Toyota fascinate visitors. The gigantic astonishing hall really deserve a visit, the interior decoration ant he innovative structure are worth admiring.

Yuja Wang

Top Classical December 8, 2021

Yuja Wang

The “wonder woman” pianist

Top Classical, December 2021
Ever since pianist Yuja Wang came to international attention it was clear that she’s a serious young artist with more to her formidable talent than jaw-dropping technique. Praised for her charisma and captivating stage presence, acclaimed by the public and valued by critics since her debut, Yuja Wang is a whirlwind of energy and assured virtuosity on the keyboard who breaks the stereotypes of classical music with brilliant, fresh and astonishing piano recitals.

Yuja Wang was born in Beijing and encouraged to make music at a young age by her dancer mother and percussionist father. She began piano lessons at the age of six, and her progress was accelerated by studies at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of  Music.  In 1999 she moved to Canada and enrolled as the youngest ever student at Mount Royal Conservatory. Wang’s exceptional gifts were widely recognised in 2001 with her appointment as a Steinway Artist, and again the  following  year  when  she was offered a place at Philadelphia’s prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Gary Graffman.

Her international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Two years later she had already signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and since then she has become one of the most well-known artists on the international circuit, with a prolific career and numerous albums. Yuja Wang was named Artist of the Year 2017 by the magazine «Musical America». 

The past year has been chock-full of landmark events for Wang: Throughout this last year Wang has been nominated as resident artist in three of the most important venues in the world: the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Luxembourg Philharmonie. Currently tackling about 110 concerts a year, she is undoubtedly building her career in the fast lane. And justifiably so: the San Francisco Chronicle, for one, has declared that she has ‘a practically superhuman keyboard technique with artistic eloquence that is second to none’.

This brilliant career, always on the spotlight hasn’t been except of criticism. Last February Wang was shamed by critics for her appearance, for wearing sunglasses during her recital. The piano virtuoso has defended herself explaining that she had been detained and subjected to “intense questioning” for over an hour at Vancouver International Airport, causing her to almost miss her recital at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Yuja Wang says she delivered the recital in sunglasses to hide her tears.

“My main concern in that moment was to give the best performance I possibly could, and not to allow the audience to be distracted by my swollen eyes or visibly shaken demeanour. It would never be my intention to snub or disengage with an audience. Everything I do on stage is about connecting with people. My audiences and fans sustain and nourish me as an artist.” Said Yuja.

Manhattan School of Music

Top Classical November 23, 2021

Manhattan School of Music

Elite education in an intimate environment

Top Classical, November 2021
Founded in 1918, the Manhattan School of Music is a music institute in New York City dedicated to the personal, artistic, and intellectual development of its students, training them in performance and composition.  With humble beginnings as a small community music school, the School is now a renowned conservatory for classical music, jazz and musical theater. Located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City, it has over 500 undergraduate students and offers undergraduate and graduate and doctoral degrees in voice, instrumental performance, jazz, and composition; graduate degrees in accompanying, orchestral performance, and contemporary performance and a doctorate in accompanying.

Under the leadership of Marta Istomin, president since 1992, the School employs a superb artist-teacher faculty of 250 professional musicians, and is also an active presenter of more than 400 public performances.   Manhattan School of Music’s faculty is made up of members of New York City’s leading performing institutions–the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center etc.–as well as acclaimed soloists and chamber musicians.

Scores of alumni have made it big in the music world, including classical composer John Corigliano, who has won a Pulitzer Prize, five Grammy awards and an Oscar, as well as actor and composer Harry Connick Jr., who has sold over 28 million albums worldwide.

Receiving education at such great standards is not available for everybody. Admissions are very selective and the entrance fees are high. In fact a recent study concluded that Manhattan School of Music’s overall typical net price combined with high quality education results in a slightly lower value for the money when compared to other colleges and universities in New York. The intimate environment is very appreciated by the majority of the students. However most of them reported problems due to the low number of rehearsal rooms given the number of students. 

About the education program, even though nobody would argue that it is rich and solid, some voices claim that it might be too restricted letting no space for artistic freedom and creativity. Alexa Smith, Chief of Staff and Assistant Vice President of Special Initiatives at Manhattan School of Music, believes that more space should be given to art in the music programs: “There is room for more art in our music programs. We ask our students to learn from one another. We ask our orchestra members and opera casts to grow from their interactions to produce highly creative art. But if we do not come to the stage with equal liberation, this concept is not possible. Artistic liberation comes from a shared idea of what matters. Free expression and interpretation matter. Technique matters. And the person whose music you are singing or playing matters.” All in all, Manhattan School of Music is and will always be one of the best music institutions every undergraduate would love to attend.

The Berlin Recital

Top Classical November 22, 2021

The Berlin Recital

November 2021
If there’s one single quality that everybody agrees about Yuja Wang is that she never leaves nobody indifferent: neither her loyal fans nor her most fierce detractors. And the pianist just made it clear again with this neat recording, recorded by Deutsche Grammophon during a recital held at the Philharmonie in Berlin. The German capital and its varied, lively and open spirit concert hall seem to be very significant and not chosen at random; it’s just representing Yuja’s artistic image and ability. 

The challenging repertoire has also been selected to reveal Yuja’s unarguable natural gift for dealing with works of such caliber. Her expressive musicality, her sophisticated techniques and her prodigious memory are fully given at the service of the music.  The the stylistic intentions of the pianist in this recital are certainly declare by the martial chords and deeply moving melodies of Prelude no. 5, opus 23 by Rachmaninov. We can appreciate her incisive sound, direct and precise attack, energy and character in the Andante dolce and in the extraordinary Vivace of Sonata no. 8 by Prokofiev, Études no. 1 and 9 of Ligeti, or in “The insects.”, the challenging trills of Sonata no. 10 by Scriabin. 

The recital includes Works from different historical moments. From a late romantic -Rachmaninov-, two visionaries of the 20th century -Scriabin and Prokofiev-, and a contemporary without veils, Ligeti. However, this chronological order is not respected in the program, which may seem surprising for some listeners. 

Her gifted ability is such that even the most demanding repertoire seems doomed by the interpreter who relentlessly performs wildness of infinite notes that could abstract the listener from it. Then is where maturity and contrasts emerge:  the pauses, the evocative harmonies, the search for textures as in the crescendo-diminuendo of Prelude no. 10 or in the Debussian beginning of Scriabin’s sonata, brings to the performance the distinctive point, which proves not also Wang’s undoubtfully flawless technical skills, but also her wisdom in performing and great musical understanding.

We are surely in front of a highly recommended, thrilling and ingenious album.

– David Gutman

The Berlin Recital
Yuja Wang
Sergei Rachmaninoff
1. Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5
2. Études-Tableaux, Op.39, No. 1 in C Minor
3. Études-Tableaux, Op.33, Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 3 in C Minor
4. Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10
Alexander Scriabin
5. Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70
György Ligeti
6. Études pour piano, No. 3 “Touches bloquées”
7. Études pour piano, No. 9 “Vertige”
8. Études pour piano, No. 1 “Désordre”
Sergey Prokofiev
9. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major, Op. 84: I. Andante dolce
10. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major, Op. 84: II. Andante sognando
11. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-Flat Major, Op. 84: III. Vivace

Van Cliburn competition

Top Classical October 13, 2021

Van Cliburn competition

Top Classical, October 2021
The Van Cliburn Piano Competition is a prestigious piano competition held every four years at Fort Worth, Texas. Pianist Harvey Lavan “Van” Cliburn, Jr. established the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which has become one of the best-known classical music contests in the United States. 

Van Cliburn was an American hero and an international icon for over five decades. He was praised as one of the most persuasive ambassadors of American culture, as well as one of the greatest pianists in the history of music. In 1958 he became famous as America’s classical music champion when he won first prize at the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition, which took place in Moscow when it was the capital of the communist Soviet Union. Van Cliburn’s victory took on deeper political and cultural implications in the context of the Cold War, as he defeated his Russian competitors.  Four years later in 1962, a dedicated group of Fort Worth volunteers held the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in his honor; the competition is now widely recognized as one of the most prestigious the best-known classical music contests in the world. 

Held at four-year intervals, The Cliburn allows the finest young concert pianists to perform before a global audience. In addition to the competitions, the Foundation manages the careers of professional competition winners for a defined period of time and presents concert series and educational programming in the Fort Worth area. The competition began on-line audio streaming of the performances and in 2009, all of the performances were webcasted live for the first time in its history. 

In its 60-year history, the Cliburn has identified and ushered a host of exceptional internationally well-known artists including Barry Douglas, Olga Kern, Radu Lupu, Jon Nakamatsu, and Cristina Ortiz.  

Before the competition takes place, an esteemed five-member screening jury travels from all over the world to hear more than 100 pianists perform a 40-minute recital in front of a live audience. From these auditions, 30 of the world’s finest pianists will be invited to compete for the coveted Cliburn medals, more than $175,000 in prizes and awards, and three years of commission-free career management valued at over $1.3 million. During a demanding three-week schedule, all competitors will perform two 45-minute solo recitals in the Preliminary Round. Then 12 semifinalists will be selected to perform a 60-minute solo recital. The six finalists will perform 6 competitors will perform two concertos, with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop 

This year for the first time in its 60-year history, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition has been postponed. The competition hosted in Fort Worth has been rescheduled to June 2022 from its original June 2021 date, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Wilhelm Kempff

Top Classical October 13, 2021

Wilhelm Kempff

Sublime simplicity right to the hearts

Top Classical, October 2021
Wilhelm Kempff was born on November 25, 1885 in Juteborg, northeastern Germany, and spent his childhood in Potsdam, before entering the Berlin Conservatory. His father was the royal music director and organist of St. Nicholas Church, his grandfather was also an organist, and his brother later became the music director of a church. Kempf was encouraged by his father to learn piano and entered the Berlin School of Music at the age of nine with the teachers Karl Heinrich Barth and later Robert Kahn.  

From 1918 he began his career as a soloist, and by 1934 he had become one of the best specialists in Bach and Beethoven. After World War II, Kempff, was in the “black list” by the Americans because he had not chosen exile with the arrival of the Nazis, and had to wait until 1964 to restart his concerts. On this date he had a triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall in New York, and the following year, a memorable concert at Lincoln Center, under the direction of Leonard Bernstein.  He received the Mendelssohn Prize in Berlin for piano performance and composition in 1917, including Beethoven’s “Sonata Hammark Claver” and Brahms’s “Paganini Variations”, which quickly became famous in Europe and internationally. In 1918 he collaborated for the first time with the Berlin Philharmonic and served as conductor of the Stuttgart School of Music in Germany from 1924 to 29. Between 1936 and 1979, he held 10 concerts in Japan. He made his first appearance in London and New York in 1951 and 1964, respectively, and made his last public performance in Paris in 1981. He retired due to health problems (Parkinson’s disease). 

Everyone who had been lucky enough to listen he live performances of this great German pianist, probably had the feeling of being in a “temple” more than in a concert hall. Kempff knew how to convey a very deep, even “religious” meaning to each of the works he performed. During his performances, Kempff himself and even the audience “disappeared,”. Under his privileged hands during that time only Beethoven, Brahms or Schubert existed.  

The composers and the works interpreted were for him the only reason of existence. However, and paradoxically, the quality of the works and the high musical sense he projected were probably the strongest link a performer could have with the audience. Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms sharpened everyone’s sensitivity when performed by the maestro. 

Kempff has recorded more than once the 32 Beethoven sonatas and the 5 concerts for piano and orchestra. Although his characteristic personality and full technical mastery of this artists contributed to the excellence of his performances,  his solid cultural and humanistic training also played an important role, since he had university degrees in philosophy and history of music. 

Inexplicably, there isn’t much being said about this outstanding artist who, with his maestry and life devoted to music, left us with some of the most brilliant music interpretations and compositions of the history. We hope that his artistry will be better recognized with time.

Respighi

Top Classical September 22, 2021

Respighi

September 2021
The last CD recorded with Riccardo Chailly for Decca is dedicated to Respighi. It includes works as Pini di Roma; Aria for strings; Legend; In the evening; Ancient dances and arias for lute, Suite III, P. 172; for violin and orchestra; Fountains of Rome. A recording project that returns the complexity of the composer’s figure through two different sets of works: one, little known, young, the other of maturity, not coinciding with the famous trilogy. Thirty years of music are passed through: the entire Respighian path, from his training years to the three decades of maturity.

Respighi has earned eternal fame with his ‘Roman Triptych’ – the three works he wrote after settling permanently in Rome in 1913 as a composition teacher at the Accademia Santa Cecilia. Although the program notes of the CD constantly refer to a triptych – Respighi Triptychs is written above it in capitals – Chailly has opted for its own interpretation. He opens and closes with the opulent Roman successes, and for the middle part he chose one of Respighi’s most relevant works: one of the Antiche Danze ed Arie per il Liuto. A series of three suites for string orchestra, freely adapted to music from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. 

They are compact works with a quasi-symphonic structure in four movements, each of which is revealed to us as moved by an internal logic; we can find in them the influence of the Rimsky-Korsakov coloring, the impressionism of Debussy and his studies with Max Bruch. 

The recording quality is great; however, some critics were a bit shocked by the deep density of the sound, even somewhat thick, and with predominant bass, might not favor a detailed listening.

The artist and the orchestra offer us a live drama, which perfectly matches the level of the composer’s brilliant orchestration abilities (especially in the handling of tonal color and the treatment of strings). The movements flow in a smooth natural succession, and that transitions between cinematic climaxes and passages of poetic beauty are organic. in ‘Pinos’, we will find ourselves immersed on an atmosphere of romantic nostalgia with a distinctive air of vivacity and a subtle refinement.  We find technicolor and sonic opulence in “Fuentes”, but also evocation (Val Julia), poetry (Villa Medicis) and orgiastic atmosphere (Trevi).

It goes without saying that this music is just right for Chailly. The listeners will surely enjoy this wonderful recording which is a present for the ears of any music lover.

– Clara Horner

Respighi
Riccardo Chailly
Filarmonica della Scala
Ottorino Respighi
1. Pini di Roma: I. I pini di Villa Borghese
2. Pini di Roma: II. Pini presso una catacomba
3. Pini di Roma: III. I pini del Gianicolo
4. Pini di Roma: IV. I pini della Via Appia
5. Aria per archi, P. 32 (Transcr. Di Vittorio)
6. Aria per archi: Leggenda for Violin and Orchestra, P. 36
7. Aria per archi: Di sera, P. 48
8. Antiche danze ed aria per liuto, Suite III: I. Italiana. Andantino
9. Antiche danze ed aria per liuto, Suite III: II. Arie di corte. Andante cantabile
10. Antiche danze ed aria per liuto, Suite III: III. Siciliana. Andantino
11. Antiche danze ed aria per liuto, Suite III: Passacaglia. Maestoso – Vivace
12. Fontane di Roma, P. 106: I. La fontana di Valle Giulia all’alba
13. Fontane di Roma, P. 106: II. La fontana del Tritone al mattino
14. Fontane di Roma, P. 106: La fontana di Trevi al meriggio
15. Fontane di Roma, P. 106: IV. La fontana di Villa Medici al tramonto

Yale University School of Music

Top Classical September 21, 2021

Yale University School of Music

An ideal school only for the best

Top Classical, September 2021
Yale University School of Music is one of the 12 professional schools of Yale University in the United States. Founded in 1854, it is the only music school in the Ivy League that has been committed to cultivating world-class musicians for over 100 years. In addition to receiving professional training in music, students are encouraged to participate in the rich intellectual life of Yale University and to develop and pursue interests in areas outside of their majors. 

In November 2005, an anonymous donation of $100 million which was later revealed to be from Yale alumnus Stephen Adams endowed full scholarships for all students accepted to the Yale School of Music. 

The world-renowned Yale University has cultivated several generations of prominent American leaders and its music school also holds a key position in this field. For more than a century, the Yale School of Music has cultivated generations of world-renowned artists, composers, and prestigious music scholars. The school provides students with a stage to keep up with the times to showcase their talents. 

Music schools don’t usually publish admissions statistics, but Yale School of Music is generally assumed to have less than a 1% admit rate.  International students currently account for approximately 40% of the total number of students, of which Asian students account for approximately 18%. 

Woolsey hall at YSM

In 2020 due to the pandemic situation, the school offered an outstanding support to their students. In a March 31st 2020 a letter to alumni by Dean Robert Blocker outlined an ambitious plan to provide aid, including “a one-time stipend of $500” to all students to assist with travel and expenses; full pay, despite social distancing, for all student employees through May 1st, 2020; and relocation of all international students who could not return home to University housing. 

Alumni interviewed were deeply moved by the School’s actions on behalf of students:  
“I am proud to know that my alma mater, the Yale School of Music, is taking proactive, compassionate steps to aid its students during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. By putting its considerable resources to good use – such as housing students, disbursing emergency funds, or paying student employees for cancelled work – the YSM is taking a lead role among its peers in finding a helpful, humane response. This is a wildly scary time for many musicians around the world, and it is heartwarming to see a world-class educational institution stand up and support its artists.” 

Students in Yale School of Music are very fortunate. Their admission proved they are the best of the best, and only brilliant performers come out from this historical prestigious institution.

Quatuor Ébène

Top Classical August 29, 2021

Quatuor Ébène

When four virtuosos meet

Top Classical, August 2021
Quatuor Ébène was founded in 1999 at the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatory in France. It was initially formed only as a distraction in the university’s practice rooms, but it wasn’t long after this brilliant ensemble got everybody’s attention. 

After studies with the Quatuor Ysaÿe in Paris they rapidly reached fame in the 2004 ARD Music Competition, where they were awarded 1rst prize, followed, by numerous other prizes and awards. For example: In 2005 the quartet was awarded the Belmont Prize of the Forberg-Schneider Foundation, in 2007 it was prizewinner of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, and in 2019 – as first ensemble ever – it was honored with the Frankfurt Music Prize. 

The group is known for its versatility and performs a variety of genres, such as classical music, contemporary music, jazz, and crossover. They have created their own particular style. Not only have the Ébènes proven adept at reinvigorating familiar repertoire — their 2009 recording of the Debussy and Ravel quartets stands up to nearly any rival — but they’re also highly skilled arrangers of jazz and pop songs. Beyond its classical repertoire, some of the group’s most popular performances have been crossover, such a rendition of the music from the score of Pulp Fiction, arrangements of classic Beatles hits, and a jazz vocal/instrumental arrangement of “Someday My Prince Will Come” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 

The quartet went through slight changes in its members. Last incorporation was violist Marie Chilemme who entered the ensemble in 2017. The other three members are: Pierre Colombet, violin, Gabriel Le Magadure, violin and Raphaël Merlin, violoncello.

The Quatuor Ebène’s concerts are marked by a singular spirit. With their magnetic playing, their new fresh look at traditional works and their willingness to merge with new forms, the musicians have arrived to a wide audience of young listeners; they communicate their knowledge in regular master classes at the Conservatoire Paris. 

Since 2005,  when the ensemble won the Belmont Prize of the Forberg-Schneider Foundation, the institution has worked closely with the musicians, allowing them – since 2009 – to play valuable old instruments from private collections.  

Last season Quatuor Ebène embarked on their “Beethoven Around the World” tour last year—giving some 40 concerts across 18 countries on all six continents. In conjunction with their tour, they recorded the complete cycle at seven venues. 

The price of being the best is well known by the quartet members, who send uncountable hours practicing together, the friction sometimes is inevitable: “You cannot be in a string quartet and be four best friends,” said one of the former members of the quartet, during an interview by Boston Glove. “Musically that cannot work. You also need the fight, to be very good. If you’re best friends, it’s always like, ‘Oh, you’re right, it’s very good.’ But there is no evolution. If you want to have an evolution in your interpretation, you sometimes have to try to understand the opposite of your idea, and also explain your idea. There are fights, but it’s normal.”

Dreams

Top Classical August 4, 2021

Dreams

August 2021
Published by Sony in 2017 Yende’s last release, “Dreams” is a collection of brilliant opera areas masterfully interpreted by the young virtuoso singer. The recording has been praised by the critics and music lovers around the world and it was chosen as the best recording of the year at the Opera Oscars, delivered in London.

The album reaches the top of what could be seen as the singer’s personal “fairy tale”, the story of her success which she already portrayed in her previous debut album A Journey. 

South African soprano Pretty Yende has rapidly become a one of the most promising stars in the classical music spectrum. With her captivating elegance, her perfectly polished performances around the world, and the extraordinary global great acceptation achieved by international critics and the press, it seems that nothing can stop this angelic voice to reach the top of the stars. Since her international take-off at the Metropolitan Opera being only 27 years old, she has become an unstoppable phenomenon.  But it was her interpretation at Le Comte Ory de Rossini, with Juan Diego Flórez, what catalyzed her right to the spotlight.

The recording leaves no doubt of her great command and the precious gift she’s got for the opera singing.  Away from sounding plain or ethereal, her instrument has warmth and a very lyrical vocal background with great ease, of course, for vocal agility.

Ombre légère by Dinorah de Meyerbeer, is just one of the jewels of this recording. Such a divine and flawless interpretation, as well as in La sonnambula by Bellini, where she manages to capture with a greater degree of refinement and richness of nuances the female roles of Vincenzo Bellini’s operas. The passionate and tragic final scene of the few times performed La straniera, is where she once again displays all the expressive contrasts, and the deeply dramatic acuteness and where Yende as Alaide shows a serious well-built register in the initial aria “Sono all’ara”.

At some points, as for example in the new cadenza in Lucia, the excess coloratura plays a bad role for her, which turns into a point of vocal stridency and somewhat hinders the complete composition of the character and his big expressive richness, because the focus moves too much in the ability to reach high notes.

Her admirable command of the in French opera repertoire is just magical. There she can extendedly show her surprising agility with Juliette’s aria, moving to the rhythm of the waltz of Charles Gounod’s Romèo et Juliette, “Ah, je veux vivre!” choosing in the highest key of G versus F.  This chose of the higher register version is repeated in the aria “O luce di quest’anima” by Linda di Chamounix de Donizetti.

Yende excels in bel canto and her coloratura capable of embellishing the melody with astonishing ease, makes her a unique artist. 

For all these reasons, this second work Dreams constitutes a must have CD, for anyone who loves opera and especially for anyone who feels transported into a magical world thanks to music.

– David Smith

Dreams
Pretty Yende
Charles Gounod
Roméo et Juliette Act I
Libretto: Jules Barbier & Michel Carré
1. “Ah! Je veux vivre”
Gaetano Donizetti
Lucia di Lammermoor Act III (Mad Scene)
Libretto: Salvadore Cammarano
2. “Eccola!”…  “Il dolce suono”
3. “Ohimè! Sorge il tremendo fantasma … Ardon gli incensi”
4. “S’avanza Enrico!”
5. “Spargi d’amaro pianto”
Linda di Chamounix Act I
Libretto: Gaetano Rossi
6. “Ah! Tardai troppo”
Vincenzo Bellini
La straniera Act II (Finale)
Libretto: Felice Romani
7. “Sono all’ara”
8. “Vaneggia… Il passo sgombrisi…”
9. “Chi veggio? La regina!” 
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Dinorah (Le Pardon de Ploërmel) Act II (Shadow Song)
Libretto: Michel Carré & Jules Barbier
10. “Dieu, comme cette nuit est lente… Ombre légère”
Vincenzo Bellini
La sonnambula Act II (Finale)
Libretto: Felice Romani
11 “Oh, se una volta sola”
12. “Ah! Non credea mirarti”
13. “Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero”