The Viva-Verdi Bubble! Part II

Finalmente (it.)!!! I’ve sat and dedicated one of my evenings thinking about Verdi’s music again! Time is so limited for me lately…but I stick to my plan and intention to share my thoughts and emotions about this great composer with you!!!

As I’ve said in the previous post this part will be not only about CDs! In this bubble I would like to tell you about two amazing Verdian singers whom I adore very much and hope you do too:). I would even call it «The Radvanovsky-Hvorostovsky Bubble». If you don’t know I mean Dmitri Hvorostovsky, a Russian baritone, and Sondra Radvanovsky, an American (partly Canadian) soprano.

They both like singing Verdi’s music and perform in his operas, I think, most of their time. And for me it’s always a pleasure to hear their voices in this repertoire. There are three video recordings where they perform together: The recital in Moscow (2008), «Un Ballo in Maschera» (Metropolitan Opera production 2012), «Il Trovatore» (Metropolitan Opera production 2011).  

The recital in Moscow

The scene from  «Un Ballo in Maschera»

The scene from «Il Trovatore»

Just in Moscow they first met on stage but … I have to say the chemistry between them is incredible (what a professionalism!), so it was hard for me to believe that they hadn’t sung together before! To understand what I’m talking about, watch the video below – the duet from «Il Trovatore».

Isn’t it great? 

The CD of this concert has been also released for our joy!!!

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the other two opera recordings yet but it’s in my agenda to fill this gap (maybe I’ll make a post about it…we’ll see).

Of course, I’ve also listened to their solo Verdi CDs.

Hvorostovsky’s CD «Verdi Arias» was released in 2002. One of the main reasons why I love Dmitri is his ability to live in his character’s skin. When I see him in performances especially where he plays a main villain, his eyes are just….oh…..captivating and full of evil (If I can say so). I even have thoughts that maybe he is a real villain!:). And, of course, he is an amazing singer. It’s a mystery of the opera world to get to know how he breathes because it seems that he can sing without breathing in for AGES!!!! His Iago in «Otello» is especially remarkable for me!!! Recently, he has debuted with this role at the Vienna Staatsoper and the critics are over the moon! Rigoletto’s arias are also very strong and emotional, it’s easy to understand the deep sorrow of the father through Hvorostovsky’s singing! Another good one is «Eri tu» from «Un Ballo in Maschera». I love this piece in general and he didn’t disappoint me here either.

«Verdi Arias» of Sondra Radvanovsky is her first solo CD (Very strange! In my opinion she should have already had plenty of them!).  Her voice color is very recognizable and beautiful. Verdi’s music is perfectly suitable for her! My preferable arias are from «Aida», «Il Trovatore», «Il Corsaro». Aida is one of her favorite parts and you feel it in «O patria mia». The music is fantastic and emotions of this heroine is expressed very touchingly. «Il Trovatore», «Il Corsaro» are also hits of this recording and they impress me with their music lines which Mrs Radvanovsky sings very gently but at the same time with a certain power. In a whole, this CD is a godsend for Verdi’s fans!

Listen and Enjoy and Viva Verdi!!!