Brava!!
M. Montenegro | mexico | 04/02/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are classics interpretations of this material: Victoria de los Angeles, Teresa Berganza, Montserrat Caballe... just to name three big spanish names. So, what can you expect from an american singer to do with this repretorie? Well, that is the surprise: Joyce Didonato has done an extremely good work and she is up the level of the three Divas I mention. Her spanish is very, very good, her interpretation is superb, her care with frases, the shadows and lights of her voice to colour each song... This is one of the best CD I have bought in the past few months, and, belive me, I buy everything."
Spotlight on the Artistry of Joyce DiDonato
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joyce DiDonato has a strong following among those who appreciate great singers who can move from the opera stage onto the recital platform and offer as much drama and intelligence to 'songs' or lieder (or canciones!). This album, ¡Pasión!, is transcendent in that it ably demonstrates how this very fine artist can traverse a large repertoire with consummate ease. Knowing that she will be singing Octavian in SF Opera's 'Der Rosenkavalier' (with Miah Persson's Sophie and Soile Isokoski's Marschallin) this June shows that she is already considered among the intelligentsia of singers. But here is a collection of Spanish music that allows her to flex her range from her usual mezzo-soprano into the higher stratosphere this music requires.
Few other singers have been able to bring these infectious songs to light (at least not since Victoria de los Angeles and a few others), but here DiDonato, well partnered by Julius Drake at the piano, offers an abundant assortment of some of the finest canciones. ¡Pasión! is a most appropriate title for this collection: Fernando Obradors' 'Canciones clásicas españolas, Enrique Granados' 'Elegia eterna', 'La maja dolorosa', and 'No lloréis ojuelos', Joaquín Turina's 'Poema en forma de canciones', Manuel de Falla's '7 Popular Spanish Songs', Xavier Montsalvatge's complete 'Canciones negras', and Rossini's 'Canzonetta spagnuola - En medio a mis dolores'.
DiDonato's vocal timbre and range are astonishingly fine and she sings this repertoire as if to the manner born. This is yet another excellent CD from an important artist of our time. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 07"
Viva DiDonato!
Bruce Varner | Chicago area, USA | 05/14/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You can use many adjectives to describe this artist, but one that you have to use is "versatile". On this magnificent recital disk, Joyce DiDonato treads into the Spanish song genre, offering the listener 30 songs by Obradors, Granados, Turina, de Falla, and Montsalvatge. After that you get a "bonus" track of "Canzonetta spagnuola" by Rossini. For those who were impressed by pianist Julius Drake in her Wigmore Hall recital disk, he is back for this project and is as great as ever. Being a Joyce DiDonato fan has made me a Julius Drake fan.
The Obradors songs are quite short, with one ("Al amor") lasting just a minute. These songs are quite well done. The last of the songs (Chiquitita las Novia) has a beautiful cadenza on the word "Ah".
My favorite of the Granados songs was "La maja dolorosa I". As usual, Joyce sings this with great intention. I was particularly impressed with one phrase, where she went from a long phrase ending with "...mi alma esta" to "Oh Dios!" . I'll wager that 99 out of 100 singers would take a breath before "Ah Dios", but she doesn't. The effect is marvelous, with the "Ah Dios" at a gorgeous pianissimo, like a prayer. Once again, dramatic intention dictates her musical choices. She also showed off an impressive chest voice in "La maja dolorosa III".
The Turina songs kept the momentum going. One special treat in "Dedicatoria" was an extended piano solo by Julius Drake. It lasts about 3 minutes, and is fantastic. Joyce's intention was perfect on "Nunca olvida". The next cut, titled "Song" also features another cadenza on the word "Ay".
The de Falla songs are well known, and brilliantly done. The tempi choices in "Jota" blew the dust off this warhorse. Even though there are so many recordings of these songs, you will be hard-pressed to find a better one.
I wasn't familiar with the songs of Montsalvatge, but I loved them. I liked "Cuba dentro de un piano" the best. The beginning of this song has some tongue-twisting diction challenges, expertly executed by this great mezzo. Joyce defies categorization as "coloratura" or "lyric". She does all of it beautifully.
A Rossini song (Canzonetta spagnuola) ends the CD. This song shows the composer's skill in writing in various styles, and the song springs to life in the hands of one of today's top Rossini interpreters.
Brilliant work. Highly recomended."
Track Listings (31) - Disc #1
