American soprano
Sondra Radvanovsky's star has been steadily rising since she won the
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1995, but her representation on disc has been meager, so it's a pleasure to have this 2010 release of Verdi arias.
Radvanovsky has sung a variety of music from
Beethoven to
Glass, but it is with Verdi that she has become most closely associated, and rightly so; her voice is ideal for the composer's vocally and dramatically demanding soprano roles. In the program notes she comments that it's the Verdi heroines who evolve emotionally who interest her the most, and her commitment to the dramatic values of the scores are evident in the focused intensity of her charged portrayals.
Radvanovsky has a sumptuous, multi-hued voice that's ideal for conveying the diversity of these solos. Her agility makes the most virtuosic passages sound effortless, and she has the technique to spin out shapely, velvety legato lines. She is strong on every track, but the two arias for Leonora from Il trovatore, which has been considered her signature role, are especially notable for their sheer vocal beauty and emotional depth.
Philharmonia of Russia, led by
Constantine Orbelian, accompanies her with sensitivity and spirit. The recorded sound doesn't do anyone any favors. The tone of the orchestra comes off as less than polished, particularly the winds, and the recording gives
Radvanovsky's voice a bright metallic edge that's less than natural sounding. The stereo definition is so pronounced on some tracks that the music seems to hop manically from channel to channel. In spite of the issues with the sound, this is an album that fans of spectacular Verdi singing will not want to miss.