Various Composers - Soprano Opera Arias [Vaduva/Domingo-Philharmonia Orchestra]I bought this disc ages ago, and only just now got round to listening to it, this is one of my quirky habits, buy a disc and put it in my collection, two or three years later i listen to it!.
Leontina Vaduva is Romanian, she hits the big 50 at the end of this year, this is a nice collection of mainly 'hits', there's nothing spectacular about her voice, it's a very nice Soprano, she isn't a superstar, maybe at the top of her voice it quivers somewhat, what may be seen as a 'warble' to some, i think she's very listenable.
The Aria that really 'got' to me this time was track 12 'Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato', i've certainly heard this done better, starting with the lovely quiet tremolo strings, which the solo violin plays the main Traviata theme over, and then Violetta/Vaduva reads the letter in singspiel over this [0:00-0:51], there's an enchanting oboe solo that introduces the main Aria [1:44-1:55], the Aria is a beautiful tune, Violetta sings goodbye to her past happy life, she can feel herself dying, and reminisces on Alfredo's love, which once comforted her.
Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti
[Adieu, sweet happy dreams of the past]
A tragic Opera scene, but Operas are either about Love or Death, or both!.
Here's Angela Gheorghiu singing this Aria on YouTube.
