Search - Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ruggero Leoncavallo :: Daniza Ilitsch

A Verdian Soprano!

Impostazione | New York City Area | 11/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The operatic world is interesting as ever. How can a talent like Daniza Ilitsch go overlooked and unstudied when her Verdi style was on a par with great Verdians. She was not in full control of an art that on a good phrase matched both Zinka Milanov and Stella Roman, She surpassed the former in dramatic interpretation and vocal range, and the latter in style. She was, in word, superb as a Verdi soprano with keen sensitivity to the beat or pulse of Verdi's works, and in such a regard, she is unrivalled except by Leontyne Price, and even Price could not match Daniza Ilitsch's superb dramatic insights, which are revealed plainly in her only extant Ballo, where her expressiveness was on the level of Maria Callas. I understand why that incredible dramatic Ballo performance has been released on Walhall. Her "Odi tu" gave me goosebumps and I don't think her Ballo has been surpassed in such a totality as Ilitsch gave to the role. She WAS Amelia and that's that!



Now as for her singing. It is not dependable, you simply never know when a phrase is going on vacation, which became, during my hearing her Ballo, a sort of enchantment. More often than not, she delivered. On this recording, she is quite dramatic and her "O patria mia" is very impressive, with the glorious high notes that were hers alone. Although, it was one of those glorious high notes that cracked and cost her a MET career.



European audiences would be more pleased with her dramatic style, open but rich metallic voice, and freedom than Americans perhaps, yet for reasons of style and the superbly exciting quality of her high C, she should be studied carefully. Once again, vocally she is not in full command, this also applies to her rhythm. Still she has no real peers. For though there are great Verdians before and after her such as Caniglia, Rethberg, Milanov, Roman, Price, Arroyo, Susan Dunn, and Herva Nelli, no one that I have heard could apply meaning to Verdian style the way Ilitsch did including Callas. Ilitsch will reveal WHY signor Verdi wrote those accents WHEN AND WHERE he did. They will make more sense to you provided you understand the dramatic context and words of the libretto. Her tone is appropriate for Verdi and her understanding of his writing make her one of the shooting stars of operatic history.



Brava!



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