Search - Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Alban Berg :: Diana Damrau - Salzburg Ricital 2005 (Mahler, Berg, Zemlinsky, Wolff, Strauss)

A STUNNING RECITAL BY A STUNNING SOPRANO AND WOMAN

R. Olsavicky | Butler, Pa. USA | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't expect to enjoy this recital; but, because I love this Artist's voice and communicative skills I took a chance and bought this CD just because I wanted to hear more of her voice and tremendous gifts. I love her "Queen of the Night" and "Zaide" and wanted more. This is one of those GREAT RECITALS that takes you on a wonderful journey of little or unknown TREASURES. YES TREASURES!!! I never expected to love every note and song of this recital; yet every piece is beautiful and done as perfectly as is possible this side of heaven by a Soprano of Prodigious Gifts! Yes, even the Berg Cycle is lovely and enjoyable to listen to. This was a new work to me and deserves to be done more often. I must confess I don't always appreciate recitals; I much more prefer operas. I'm glad I tried this one and have already ordered more recitals by both this soprano and another new soprano to me Miah Persson. The Mahler is SPECTACULAR!!! The Wolf perfect! The Strauss HEAVENLY! This is a very gifted woman with very special God given gifts under complete control of a great ARTIST!!! She must have worked hard and deserves every rave she gets! A NEW COLORATURA SUPERSTAR!!! Her accompanist-Stephan Matthias Lademann is also excellent as is the sound."

Absolutely jaw-dropping recital.

Abel | Hong Kong | 12/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am shocked and perplexed that so few people have reviewed this wonderful item!

Here is a stunning performance from a really talented singer - one that emerges once in nearly half a century.

For too long have the world waited for a really good German lieder soprano. Some fillers during that long gap do not come from Austria or Germany. After Lucia Popp's early demise, at last a lieder singer that reaches the pinnacle of that art.

Damrau's singing is not just 'good' - it is very affecting, very touching and so natural that it sounds as if she is talking intimately to her audience. I like the description in the inlaid to this album - that she is like a birdie perching at the Salzburg concert hall singing out her heart's delight. So natural, so at home, so beautiful!

For lieder lovers, this album is an absolute must.

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Diana gives everyone a singing lesson!

Mr John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States | 02/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I never imagined how much I would enjoy this cd. Usually I prefer symphonic or operatic music, and in fact that is where I first heard the talents of Diana Damrau.



With precise, articulate, and passionate singing that is always in perfect timing with her piano accompanist, Stephan Matthias Lademann, she demonstrates how brilliant a piano/voice recital can be.



After an introduction of Berg's "Seven Early Songs," Damrau "wows" the live audience with perhaps the clearest rendition ever of Gustav Mahler's "Das himmlische Leben" (the Heavenly life). Had they included ALL the applause, there might not have been enough time left on the cd for the many other works she polishes up.



She gives a very pretty rendering of Alexander Zemlinsky's somewhat obscure waltz songs. Yet these are hardly able to be remembered as she follows them with an absolutely brilliant interpretation of Hugo Wolf's Five Songs. In the Wolf songs, we hear Spring almost personified, with light, dazzling sunshine in the singing. Next a delightful song about "the boy and the bee," in which the boy pronounces that even sweeter than honey is "wenn man herzt und kuesst" (hugging and kissing).



The concert would have been a wonderful success even if it ended here, but there was much more: three Richard Strauss songs included his Maedchenblumen--songs that cleverly contrast girls with flowers. Then, as the program notes rightfully compare the last song, "Amor," to the virtuoso role of Zerbinetta in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, Diana Damrau gives a singing lesson worthy of the spectacular Zerbinetta.



After the superb singing of the Strauss songs, I'm sure the audience simply could not bear for the concert to end. Damrau presented four encore songs--three very harmonius Wolf songs (from the Italian Songbook) preceeded by a jewel of a song that deserves more widespread recognition: Mahler's "Wer hat denn dies Liedlein erdacht?" (Who indeed was it who thought up this little song?) Well, that little song sung by such a remarkable singer brought down the house.



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