"Mariella Devia's recording career is one of those unexplainable injustices that the entire world of opera fans wil regret for years. Most of her available recordings are live. I first came upon Mariella's sumptuous and haunting sound when I found a live recording of Bizet's "Les pecheurs de perles", where she sang with the the great and unfortunally deceased Alfredo Kraus. At the end of that recording, she was recorded during a Recital at the Philharmonic Society in my hometown, Bilbao (Spain). Despite the quality of the pirate recording, her huge talent was undeniable. This recording comes with a much better sound quality and full orchestration, despite being also a live recording. I do not know of many singers who can pull off a live program as demanding as this one and shine throughout like she does. Its so refreshing to hear a real opera singer like this, when so many of the nowadays operatic careers are being created in the recording studio. Mariella deserves to be among the greatest singers of this century, rubbing elbows with Callas, Sutherland, Caballe and Tebaldi. Time will give her the place she undoubtly deserves. Summarizing, a MUST-HAVE for any opera lover who is looking for a voice that has coloratura and above all, unmistakable personality. HISTORIC"
Magnificent concert
Anton Smit | Italy | 07/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like the other reviewers, I can only rave about Mariella Devia- one of the best singers I have ever heard. She has an outstanding technique, superb breath control, a huge vocal range, a warm voice- a pity there are not more of her recordings available, and surprising that she hasn't sung more Verdi operas- I'm sure she'd be great as either of the Leonoras or as Amelia- she certainly has the vocal range as well as the dramatic apeal.All the arias on this CD are beautifully sung; the conducting is solid if somewhat unexciting; the sound quality is excellent. Many of the arias were also sung by Callas- an interesting exercise to spend an evening comparing these two formidable singers.I wholly recommend this CD- singing doesn't come any better than this!"
The Last Great Soprano of the XXth Century
Anton Smit | 05/03/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mariella Devia is a superb artist. Not only she is vocal phenomenon, but also an interesting, very individual soprano. If you like sopranos of the calibre of Maria Callas, Leyla Gencer, Renata Scotto and Julia Varady, look for the last of the kind."
A real singer!
Charlus | NYC | 04/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Devìa has a clear, ringing, forward, very Italian-sounding voice, which she uses with great command and self-assurance. Just to hear her nail all those high notes with such complete aplomb is quite impressive, and her sustained phrasing and breathing clearly denote a very well-trained singer. She is also a fine musician: her intonation is at all times sure, a critical fact with so clear a voice, and she understands the shape and balance of a musical phrase. Very impressive.
As an interpreter, she is quite restrained; not for her the five-course meals that some operatic "tragédiennes" like to make out of every phrase. She has a Latin's natural, unforced emotion, but does not resort to heavy-breathing neurotics.
It is also very refreshing to hear Italian so beautifully and naturally ennunciated.
Devìa is a complete and very sincere artist, and this disk is a joy."
Beautiful
Joseph Hart | Visalia, CA United States | 02/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like the other writers, I love this music too. Her voice is warm and beautiful, not to mention agile. She hits only 3 top notes, but comparing the tunes with Sutherland's performances, they were all the music called for. And if anyone went for the top notes, it was Sutherland. (Also Pons, Jo and Gencer, also Callas but she was so mean I don't like to think about her, and Caballe never did, well she did once, and just about every complete Donizetti live opera has her in it, damnit, I won't listen to them.) The tempos were slower than normal and she sang mostly slow arias, she slid (like Gruberova does always) to the last note in Lucia's mad scene which disappointed me, but I can live with that because everything else was so perfect. Devia has everything going for her, plus just simply a beautiful SOUND. Like nothing I've heard since Battle's Mozart album (which I'm keeping, though I recently learned that she is a jerk, like Callas - if the american public can hate Woody Allen because of his sex life without having ever seen a single one of his flicks, I can dismiss venemous creatures like Callas and Battle, whom I have heard, and both of whom I used to love). As another writer said, I don't understand why there aren't more anthologies and recitals by Devia out there as glorious as she is, but there are quite a few complete operas, I have one (Linda di Chamounix) - and maybe, as he said, they are all live. What a loss."