Search - Henry Rowley Bishop, George Frederick Handel, Gaetano Donizetti :: Prima Voce: Operatic Arias

The enchanting Maria Ivogun

02/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ivogun was the premiere lyric-coloratura in the 20's and 30's in Germany. Today she is perhaps best remembered as the teacher of Rita Streich and Elisabeth Schwartzkopf. Every time I put this CD on, I invariably say (out loud!) "Oh my god, what a VOICE!!" It is inconceivable to me that this exquisite singer is not spoken of as one of the 10 great singers of the 20th century, which she most assuredly is. Her tone is even over a 2 and a half octave range, she has STARTLING breath control, and a coloring to the voice that will remind many of Arlene Auger. She sings with taste, accuracy, and that indefinable something called 'heart'. She sings rings around Galli-Curci in her prime, and also sings in tune, which Galli-Curci never did... but for reasons unknown, she never came within a mile of the other woman's household-name status. In any case, do yourself a favor and listen to this delicious soprano. My own favorite is her singing of the folksong "Joseph lieber, Joseph mein", though her aria from 'Il Pensieroso' of Handel is also magnificent."

Another 5 star review

John Ruggeri | Philadelphia, PA USA | 08/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can only add to the previous reviewers on point review that this version of "Una Voce Poco Fa" is my favorite. It is ornamented like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. Unfortunatley many singers without substantial MET careers are often forgotten. Look at Mezzo - soprano Ebe Stgnani. I correspond with so called singing experts who have just about heard of her.



I strongly suggest buying this CD if you love great singing."