Vorrei dirti il mio dolore [Rosmira, Venice-Carnival 1738]
Nella Foresta [Catone in Utica, Verona-Spring 1737]
Ricordati che sei [Farnace, Ferrara-Carnival 1738]
Sin nel placido soggiorno [from an unknown opera]
This album of Vivaldi arias features numbers from a dozen or so operas and includes five arias receiving their first recording. It joins Genaux's existing Virgin Classics catalogue, which includes recitals of Handel and... more » Hasse, of bel canto arias and a star-studded complete recording of Vivaldi's Bajazet, with the dynamic Fabio Biondi conducting Europa Galante. Nominated for a Grammy, Bajazet prompted this response from Opera News: "True star status on this recording belongs to Vivica Genaux, whose performance of 'Qual guerriero in campo armato' sets what must be the new modern standard for coloratura singing. Her swiftness and accuracy demonstrate why Genaux is the leading interpreter of music written for Farinelli, the greatest vocal star of the Baroque era."« less
This album of Vivaldi arias features numbers from a dozen or so operas and includes five arias receiving their first recording. It joins Genaux's existing Virgin Classics catalogue, which includes recitals of Handel and Hasse, of bel canto arias and a star-studded complete recording of Vivaldi's Bajazet, with the dynamic Fabio Biondi conducting Europa Galante. Nominated for a Grammy, Bajazet prompted this response from Opera News: "True star status on this recording belongs to Vivica Genaux, whose performance of 'Qual guerriero in campo armato' sets what must be the new modern standard for coloratura singing. Her swiftness and accuracy demonstrate why Genaux is the leading interpreter of music written for Farinelli, the greatest vocal star of the Baroque era."
CD Reviews
The Da Capos Are The Charm
Dennis Figueroa | Orange County, CA | 12/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Known for his frugality as an opera impresario, Vivaldi was regarded by scouting and promoting new talent. This assured him a steady stream of singers eager for their big break in opera, and a safe way to keep production costs down. La Cuzzoni was perhaps the only famous singer Vivaldi ever employed. His music was never interpreted by contemporaries of the stature of Farinelli or any of the other super star castrati of his time.
In counterpointe to this record, now the best singers of our generation sing his scores: Bartoli, Piau, Prina, Invernizzi, and now Genaux.
The relevance of this album lies not just on the selection of opera arias, they have been tried countless times before, but on the creatively unique approach to the da capos. Their ornamentation is novel, exciting, truly refreshing, and a testament to the extraordinary musicianship of Genaux and Biondi.
Genaux cannot escape her legendary and unrivaled performance of Qual Guerriero In Campo Armato, and once more lives up to meet that expectation. In fact, the arias di furore are stylistically brisk, and fluid in interpretation as Qual Guerriero.
As advertised, this album delivers amazing vocal fireworks capable to be moving and dazzling.
"
Amazing. Jaw-Dropping!
Classics Lover | 12/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Vivica Genaux might be the most exciting singer I've heard in a while. My jaw literally dropped track after track when gave this records its first spin. If anyone knows anything about the Vivaldi arias, you know that they are DAMN difficult. Vivica rips through these runs and embellishments with such incredibly ease. It's insane. Bananas. Her vocals have such incredibly power, range and flexibility. There are plenty to pyrotechnics in this release and I can't get enough of them. Show-stopping!!"
They Bring Out the Best in Each Other ...
Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 12/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"... Vivica Genoux and violinist Fabio Biondi, I mean. And together they bring out the best in Vivaldi - the pyrotechnics, obviously, but also the suave, memorable melodies. Vivaldi's 40-plus operas were his most important work; those who denigrate him as baroque-lite, on the basis chiefly of historically uninformed performances of The Four Seasons, should listen to the recording of his opera Bajazet, performed by Europa Galante with Vivica Genoux in the cast.
I prefer this performance by Genoux very much over the earlier showcase CD - "Arias for Farinelli" - with Rene Jacobs conducting. On that CD, I thought she hampered her amazingly agile voice with too much darkening of timbre. On this disk, she lets her naturally 'white' clarino frolic as nimbly as Biondi's fiddle bow, yet she also projects the fiery emotions - rage, jealousy, scorn, despair - of Vivaldi's operatic heroines and villainesses with every quaver.
The samples won't give you much idea of the virtuosity Genoux brings to these arias. Most of that virtuosity is saved for the ornamented and semi-improvised da capos, which are truly pyrotechnic. Short of investing in the huge selection of Vivaldi's complete operas now suddenly becoming available, this is the CD to hear, to discover what a genius of musical drama the Red Priest really was."
You'v got to hear it!
Richard E. Goodspeed | 01/31/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The title of this CD is very apt: Genaux's vocal exhibition is about as close to pyrotechnics as you can get with a mezzo's voice. It's gorgeous. I have a large collection of CD's, and try very hard not to buy new ones. But my friend Chris Schull's review of this disc in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram conned me into ordering it. Am I glad it did!"
Vivica out did herself, with the aid of the capable Biondi.
Abel | Hong Kong | 02/24/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is my second solo album of mezzo-soprano (or contralto) Vivica Genaux.
Some years back, she recorded a solo album on "arias for Farinelli", and though quite good, wasn't at all dazzling as the original sound track recording for the film under the same name, with Christophe Roussett at the baton.
Here she records a brand new all-Vivaldi programme, and frankly hers is one of the best Vivaldi stuff I've heard for quite a long while.
Some reviewer say that not all the stuff are NEW. I don't understand what this means. Vivaldi's stuff certainly belongs not to this century. Cecilia Bartoli has recorded a few tracks on this one early in her 1991 Vivaldi Album. So you would see that Genaux is facing some tough comparisons in this.
Well, I would report that Genaux has fully passed all the vocal tests posed in these repertoire, and manages even to outshine some of her illustrious 'predecessors' in such recordings, viz. Bartoli and Jaroussky.
The reason - she's got the right timbre.
While Genaux does not own a high register to the same stretch orextent as Bartoli (or even Jaroussky), she's got one of the fullest middle and low registers heard in female vocalists. Katherine Ferrier comes to mind when listening to her singing, but we have not had much luxury to hear Ferrier in stereo recordings, and certainly far less in Vivaldi's works.
Genaux's lower registers give her ample room to maneouvre these works' coloratura runs and different nuances. You gain the impression that 'this is what the castrato voice would sound like' as you listen to Genaux's singing.
Then, of course, Fabio Biondi does a wonderful job with the orchestra to give this album the final touches of utter finesse.
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1