Sondra Radvanovsky: All Verdi [Arias], All the Time -- With A Free Download

 

(Photo: Pavel Antonov)

American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky is having a stellar 2010. With a big, solid voice and and effortless technique, she's one of the best sopranos rocking 19th century Italian opera today, scoring bulletproof reviews from every venue she visits. She just finished a North American tour with BF4E&E [opera's silver fox], Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and her debut solo recording is about to drop.

Singing arias from Il trovatore, Un ballo in maschera, Il corsaro, La forza, Ernani, Aida, and I vespri siciliani, Sondra sings with the Philharmonia of Russia led by Constantine Orbelian. Titled "Verdi Arias", it'll be in stores on April 27th (although it's available today on iTunes and pre-order on Amazon).

One of her signature roles is Trovatore's Leonora and her new CD has both D'amor sull'ali rosee and Tacea la notte placida -- the latter a tender retelling full of heartache, one of the most beautiful arias that Verdi wrote for soprano, which requires bulletproof technique and a deep interpretation, all which Sondra brings.

Free download after the jump!

OC's so in love with the track from Verdi Arias, she's gifting a download of the mp3. Use it don't abuse it!

(update: link disabled as of Thursday, February 17, 2011)

Comments

[Les Mitchell]

I think that Radvanovsky is destined to become the Verdi soprano for whom we've been hankering for since the days of Zinka Milanov and Leontyne Price. She's been going very slowly, but with great consistency. I think it's only a matter of time before she adds Aida to her repertoire. Eventually who knows? Maybe Norma? I think she's got the voice for it. It's a voice that comes along very rarely, and we cherish her.

[Furst]

None of the operas mentioned by OC are in our top 20 (we never fail to be impressed by much of Aida but at the same time somehow disappointed by not finding it more satisfying and we have desperately tried to like I Vespri more than we have [3 Verdi opera are easily in our top 15 and 1 Don Carlos is certainly in the top 5 and we can imagine getting into the top 3 in the right performance]). Further more, we have some reservations about Sondra. However, she is absolutely our favorite performer in those parts of the above mentioned repertoire in which we have heard her and her Donna Anna very much held its own with those of HRM and Trebs - whom we quite liked in this role (we heard them in the role within months of each other and Trebs was also the Zerlina in this particular show with Furlanetto - in what we believe was his last Leporello - and Mattei - a great show that survived Cumberling's uninspired effort in the pit). We will certainly take the trouble to see her Tosca next year and might even make a return for the Travatore almost exclusively because of her. We will even buy the CD and will make an effort to find the time to listen to it.

[Constantine A. Papas]

SR is destined to be the American Verdi soprano that Millo tried but sporatically held on.

[MARCO MELLICA]

Sondra Radvanovsky canta benissimo. Il suo italiano è ottimo. Già sentita a Vienna e Genova nei Vespri Siciliani e poi altre volte alla radio. La prossima stagione estiva all'Arena la sua Leonora in Trovatore è un appuntamento da non mancare. Brava signora Sondra.

[Alejandro]

I am so happy I have iTunes on my iPhone. I want this album now. She's astounding. Can't wait to listen later.

[Alejandro]

Listening now.

I am in love.

[liane bierau]

I saw and heard her last year for the first time in the ROH in Il Trovatore and was most impressed by her, particlarly in the last act she was heart rending. The Bariton was Hvrostokovsky who was also stunning. However a great let down was the tenor a certain Walter Vaccaro or something like this, instead of Alagna who was supposed to have sung, but she most certainly made up for all the shortcomings.

[doktorlehar]

She's the real thing, no question! What a beautiful "Tacea" this is!

[Oroveso]

Radvanovsky is one of the current generation that I definitely try to go and hear. Interesting and impressive.

[Wlodzimierz Zdyb]

assoluta. Better version of Callas.

[Rolf Eriksson]

Thank u for sharing this excellent aria. She is a successor to Price and Milanov, indeed!

[el cajon]

Having heard her live recently, I can say that a generation ago, SR would have among the second ranks of Verdi sopranos. But that was then and this is now. The one thing she does need to work on is a trill.

[Alexander]

Thanks OC;) I downloaded it on my comp and will record it on CD later to listen to every now and then;) She sings well.
P.S. We want Kiri ;)))))

[Arepo]

Finalmente!!
A true star and superb soprano singer with a Verdian style that's hard to beat today.

[Grizabella]

Sounds a lot like Milanov! Thanks for the hook up!

[Grizabella]

Sounds a lot like Milanov! Thanks for the hook up!

[zina]

I am sorry, Aprile Millo at her best was the real deal. Sondra is great, her voice is distinctive, but her center of pitch can be relative. (And not in the Renata Tebaldi on high notes kind of way, but consistently, throughout her range.) I have heard Sondra live in a big house and her voice is voluminous and present and she can carry a show if the rest of the cast is weak. I admire her very much, I just think it is precipitous to say her work will match and perhaps surpass that of the great Verdi sopranos. You never know, but her technique is what it is, and is unlikely to alter drastically. She is great talent, nonetheless, and obviously a nice person, too. She is one of the few who can sing this repertoire right now, so we are lucky to have her.

[Rigo.]

Thank you OC.
Not since the 1952 recording of "Il Trovatore"with Zinka Milanov, which I treasure and never get tired of listening to, have I heard a rendition of this aria that have impressed me so much.

[danielle]

Yeah, I think it's safe to say the good old days are gone, and we just don't have the same overall calibre as once we did. It makes someone like Sondra really stand out. She is extremely consistent and she has an exciting timbre.
I haven't heard her live yet, but I have seen her name over and over again over the past year and I think it's only a matter of time before she's a really big deal over here in North America.

[Miguel Souza]

I have heard her live in San Francisco and she is certainly an exciting presence, with a big, beautiful voice - Leonora is one of her great roles and she did it justice "live" - the Tacea there was better than this recorded version (the conductor makes a big difference!).

[kizartfan]

I like Sondra, but I find the color of her voice a little pallid to be the next great Verdian. Her voice seems like a very large Mimi voice, or Juliette. Callas, Tebaldi, Milanov, Price, all had voices con molto slancio! I must say, I was very impressed with Sondra's Don Carlo, However, I was less impressed by her Ernani, and Vespri. Maybe she's more of a late period Verdian/verismo soprano, which would be GREAT. I'm very excited to hear if she'll scream a little bit for the Tosca next season. For my taste, the next great soprano drammatico d'agilita/Verdi soprano is the gorgeous Takesha Meshe Kizart. She sings this repertoire with perfect style, huge lucious sound on top, and a full throated chest voice. Why don't the American houses engage her?