Octo_Russ

Various Composers - 'Bel Sogno' Italian Soprano Opera Arias [Gallardo-Domas/ Barbacini-Munchner Rundfunkorchester]

I love these Opera Aria recitals, this one is dedicated to the Italian repertoire, maybe a bit too much Puccini, and it would have been good to have some more Bellini, but it's still a good variety, one of the best Opera Arias recital discs i own. 

Cristina Gallardo-Domas was born in Chile, at the moment she seems to be a Puccini specialist, and she sings the lighter Bel Canto roles, she has a versatile Soprano voice, easily reaches the high notes, and is lovely and sweet, she recorded this recital in 2001, she certainly isn't a household name, i'm surprised, she's actually really good, the booklet front cover shows a cropped head and shoulders shot [photo by Kasskara], a sepia toned shot, very very nice, and the white lettering in the darker areas really stands out nicely.

I enjoyed every single one of these arias, and it's hard to pick out a highlight, but track 3, the aria 'Ebben, ne andro lontana' from Catalani's La Wally is such a heartfelt gorgeous aria, so full of yearning, about a girl who contemplates moving far away from home, and all the sorrow that that will bring, after a loaded intro of expectant strings and fluttering flutes, Gallardo-Domas / Wally starts to sing her aria with a somewhat monotonous beat, and so it's all the more memorable when she sings 'there, amid the white snow' [0:33-0:43], to a glorious high and sweet tune, the highlight of the whole aria, i like the short woodwind phrase after the first verse [1:19-1:25], a nice dissonant touch, the middle section is sung with a gentle passion [1:34+] where Wally contemplates leaving her Mother, possibly never seeing her again, very loaded with touching regret, the tune at the start comes back, and the high and sweet phrase is now 'like the church bell's echo' [2:53-3:04], the whole thing is short and sweet.

Here's Cristina Gallardo-Domas singing 'Ebben, ne andro lontana' from Catalani's La Wally on YouTube.