Opera music of the week reviewed...

Magdalena Kozena

Vivaldi

Venice Baroque Orchestra, conductor: Andrea Marcon

Archiv 477 8096 *****

Kozena, nominally a mezzo soprano with a shining upper register, here takes on demanding Vivaldi arias that cover the ranges nowadays normally associated with both soprano and mezzo. While she is sometimes stretched by the demands of the material, overall the recital is a tour de force, both in the technical and interpretative sense.

Kozena’s voice has a beautiful sheen, while her expressive coloratura is well able to deal with the huge technical demands of some of these arias. Her well-chosen programme covers a variety of Vivaldi characters, and she creates credible and distinct identities for each one, giving the lie to the rumour that Vivaldi wrote the same tune 400 different ways. This is a memorable recital by an artist at the height of her powers. www.deutschegrammophon.com