Bel Raggio

This is an easy review. We have a major talent here; but where will it go or end up? I love Rossini and remember the major revelation that Joan Sutherland's SEMIRAMIDE caused in the evaluation of Rossini's "serious" works. I also remember Montserrat Caballe's ROSSINI RARETIES on RCA and the sensation it created and the want to hear complete recordings of those works. Therefore, I have high expectations of any Soprano who presents a whole CD dedicated to this bel canto composer. Here goes the review:1) Aleksandra Kurzak does some very exciting things on her new recording; however, I have a few reservations.2) Her coloratura is very fine and is the real thing. She is several leagues ahead of Anna Netrebko in that respect.3) The basic quality of her voice is also pleasing. There is some color and bite in the vocal timbre.4) Once in a while a note or word loses its focus and a pitch may be suspect here or there.5) I'm not sure about her very highest notes. Many times she hits them and gets off them in what seems to me a hurry. I'm not sure how much longer she will have them or if she is not more of a lyric soprano who can currently do coloratura very well. Time will tell.6) The baritone in the Figaro Duet just doesn't have the coloratura at all. He was a mistake for this selection.7) The conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi is more than adequate; but, I expect more. This may have to do with the Sopranoe's rather at times "faceless" interpretations. She only really catches fire two or three times in this recital. The Italians would want more "face" to her somewhat tame interpretations.8) The orchestra is good; however, not World Class.9) The sound is fine.10) In Summary: a fine lyric Soprano who currently can do some excellent coloratura work; who none the less needs more identification with the characters she is interpreting. When she does she really is very good and enjoyable.

Amazing pyrotechnics! This lady can sing! Best choice to open with Bel Raggio! Not an easy feat to outdo La Stupenda and June Anderson. I hear an Anna Moffo quality without her sometimes overdone vibrato. The other arias were icing on the cake. Not a dud in the bunch. Since this cd arrived, I must end my day by listening to her amazing Bel Raggio. I hope she has the good sense to choose her roles carefully and not go too strong to fast. This lady is the real deal. A voice to carry on the tradition of the singers of the golden age. That crunching is the sound of me gladly eating crow!

I enjoyed Aleksandra Kurzak's first recital CD on Decca very much, so I was happy to learn she would sing Gilda with San Francisco Opera in the Fall of 2012 and she did not disappoint. Neither of these experiences prepared me for her new CD, Bel raggio. I have listened to it over and over since I received it. I buy a lot of CD's, so I do not normally spend a lot of time listening to the same CD more than once, but I just want to keep hearing this one again and again.The arias on the CD are nice mix of familiar and less well known. The performances are stylish and the ornamentation is either less common than what one usually hears, or new and different. I especially enjoy her characterization in "Il turco in Italia" and hope to hear her in a complete version of the opera. The aria from "Tancredi" is also very well sung. I am eagerly awaiting her next project!

This fine disc catches a "new" Polish coloratura in excellent voice, with good solid high D's and E's. The interview with her is very fine. She says that Rossinian coloratura fits her voice well (and it does!), but she says that she thinks she'll be graduating to "deeper" roles. Her voice is beautiful and, I think, a real "Violetta" voice, with the warmth and almost-lirico-spinto sound. She sounds like a wise soprano who knows how to pace herself, and I look forward to hearing more from her.

This cd is for people who appreciate perfectly beautiful and beautifully perfect singing. Kurzak is miraculous with her accuracy, control and clarity. Her voice has punch without ever losing its delicacy and power. What a marvelous instrument, what a superb musician. The ornamention is tasteful and absolutely delightful. Her abilities are astonishing and apparently limitless. This is a difficult disc to play straight through because I am constantly hitting the "repeat" button. How often do we hear a singer this wonderful, this perfect?? I recommend without reservation, and I will be playing it often. (Can you wear out a cd?)

This is my first coloratura soprano CD, I only know three opera in these collection. Guglielmo Tell, Matilde di Shabran and IL barbiere di Siviglia. Ms. Kurzak's voice has perfect flexibility and clean,accurate coloratura technique for rossini's score. interesting collection of arias.

Any Rossini lover will surely enjoy this stunning collection of arias. Miss Kurzak sings with great agility and well communicated involvement in the text of each aria. Brava!

What a beautiful and rich voice. I can listen to this CD non stop. Her color and timbre are stunning. How refreshing.

I only tolerate pitch and technically precise singers which I think is a prerequisite for operatic artistry, plus if one has a recording studio time then there are no excuses for bad notes! Hence, I am very impressed with this album: Aleksandra is pitch perfect, her voice is velvety, she can do brilliant ornaments which are 100% in style. No doubt this CD is a display of technical perfection. Her interpretations are very good, although I sometimes wish for a little bit more here and there. Her top notes sometimes get breathy, however I think this point is minor. The album is a definite must-have and I am sure Rossini himself would be proud of this rendition of his works. Go Ola!

A fine recital of some of Maestro Rossini's finest. Very firm voice with no shrieking or wobbles. she can sing sotly where necessary and she gave a lot of enjoyed listening---rare these days.Charles Webb Pontypool Wales

Kurzak thrilled Covent Garden audiences when she appeared in Mathilde de Shabran and there is a souvenir of that on this CD. All the others are sung with a technical assurance that is exceptional wedded to a voice of a lovely colour.

La seleccion de las arias es muy completa demostrando la soprano una casi perfecta adaptacion a Rosssini y a sus exigencias interpretativas

Le dessin sur la couverture de disque "Bel Raggio" ne me plait pas. Peut-être pour cette raison, j'ai tardé à acheter ce disque. Je suis très heureux de l'avoir fait. J'ai plusieurs enregistrements en récital de musique vocale de Rossini. A mon avis, celui d'Aleksandra Kurzak est meilleur que les autres. La notoriété de la cantatrice toujours monte. Cependant, je n'hésite pas de dire qu'elle appartient déjà au groupe de meilleures sopranos contemporaines.