"Anna Netrebko is called to be one of the stars of the operatic firmament, without any
doubt," says Plácido Domingo . . . "She has the beauty of the voice, she is a wonderful actress, and she has the personality that really appeals to the public. She's also a very beautiful woman." . . . "Her musicality is very, very strong," Domingo says. "If she sings the right repertoire and continues to be dedicated, to work as hard as she has, she has the qualities to be one of the greatest sopranos of the world for many years to come."
Miscellaneous / Tim Smith, Baltimoresun.com / 12 September 2004
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. . . under the watchful ear of Claudio Abbado, Netrebko shows that she needs no promotional makeover to hypnotise listeners with the remarkable power and purity of her heavenly voice.
Record Review / The Observer (London) / 22 August 2004
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Anna Netrebko's second CD is even more impressive than her first . . . a very satisfying -- even thrilling--program . . . Growing artistry and everything else aside, Netrebko's voice is just beautiful. Much of the fine effect of this recital is due to Claudio
Abbado's leadership -- he's infinitely sensitive not only to the music but also to his soprano's strengths. And the Mahler Chamber Orchestra is a fine group, its wind
players mellow and plangent, its strings sweetly ideal for bel canto.
Record Review / Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com / 23 August 2004
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. . . these arias showcase her talents, which include a lot of lovely tonal color, sweet lyricism, thoughtful character portrayal and confident attack of notes . . . it's exciting to watch a gifted singer mature and develop, and this album offers a chance to see Netrebko's artistry evolve.
Record Review / Anastasia Tsioulcas, Billboard (New York) / 28 August 2004
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To my ears, Netrebko has lost none of the radiance that she displayed in her first appearances. If anything, her voice is more lustrous and more substantial than before -- the lower range darker and richer, the high notes brilliant . . . , the legato phrases luxuriously long . . . she sails through the music without apparent effort, navigating these arias as if they were a calm Aegean bay. What depths there are come from Claudio Abbado, conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; few recitals
have an accompaniment so voluptuously nuanced. Until Netrebko becomes a recurring character on CSI: Salzburg," I'd say that she deserves the hype she has received.
Record Review / ALEX ROSS, New Yorker / 01 September 2004
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. . . this CD is strong, cohesive and thoughtfully sung. Netrebko has a dynamic, immensely powerful old-fashioned voice that is perfect for this repertoire of Verdi, Bellini and Donizetti.
Record Review / Sydney Star Observer / 12 September 2004
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Endowed with film-star looks as well as an extraordinarily beautiful voice, Russia's Anna Netrebko seems to have everything. Her second disc, of Italian arias (Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi), accompanied by Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, certainly showcases her even tone throughout the compass, and her superb technical control, with a legato line that many a singer would envy.
Record Review / Barry Millington, Standard (London) / 17 September 2004
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Ms. Netrebko has been called the Russian Callas. Though I understand the comparison, I don't completely agree. Her voice is meltingly beautiful, with its creamy legato and luminous sound, tinged by a plaintive quality that never disappears, even in cheerful music. But she is a clear-headed musician, temperamentally cooler than Callas . . . And Mr. Abbado's work here is revelatory . . . Her performance is disarming. A hint of things to come?
Record Review / ANTHONY TOMMASINI, The New York Times / 19 September 2004
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Particularly affecting and fitting here is her movement from note to note and her subtle use of vibrato, and the inward feeling she brings in . . . In any case, all but the most fastidious will find the interpretations of this ever-improving voice and talent hard to resist and . . . the beauty, and often the pathos in the singing is its own advocate . . . she is greatly helped by Abbado's experience and understanding, and the sympathetic playing of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Record Review / Alan Blyth, Gramophone Awards Issue (London) / 01 October 2004
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This is a beautiful voice, no question . . . Luxury accompaniments from Abbado and co, and top-flight comprimarios . . .
Record Review / The Sunday Times (London) / 03 October 2004
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Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has great stage presence and a voice blessed with a high top that puts belcanto as well as dramatic roles in her repertoire.
Record Review / Michael Shmith, The Age / 28 October 2004
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Anna Netrebko gets back on form with this stunning collection of arias. Here is insightful, intelligent singing, beautifully phrased and impressively controlled -- and what a voice! Clear as a mountain stream, and evenly-weighted from top to bottom. But perhaps her greatest talent is to communicate passion and emotion with restraint and delicacy: there's nothing histrionic here, but you can really hear the blood pounding under everything she does . . . Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra provide a wonderfully sympathetic accompaniment . . .
Record Review / Warwick Thompson, Classic FM (London) / 01 November 2004
