Search - Puccini, Barker, Orchestra Victoria :: Passion

Superb Puccini

Robert Elmasian | San Diego, CA USA | 07/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a superb CD. Cheryl Barker's voice has both power and subtlety. Each of the 17 Puccini arias, ordered by time of composition, is well done and some are super. It is hard to imagine a better performance of Vissi d'Arte or the two brief, but eloquent, Puccini songs at the end of the CD. Conductor Bonynge and his orchestra match Barker's excellence with a well done accompaniment.



Person's discussing Barker often wonder why she is not better known outside of the UK, Belgium, and her native Australia. Part of the answer lies in the fact that she has not performed much outside the aforementioned places. Second is her relatively late development. She did not sing opera internationally until her early thirties, starting first with UK regional opera companies. Moreover, both the skill and the power in her voice have continued to improve. Unadjusted opinions, formed and fixed some time ago, have failed to keep up with Barker's current quality. Today, she is first class.

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