Magdalena Kozena - French Arias (2003)

Magdalena Kozena is a baroque specialist, right? So theoretically, I should agree with the reviewer who says that this is the "wrong repertoire" for Kozena's voice; she lacks the roundness of a Janet Baker or Susan Graham, and one can't particularly think of THEM trying the Veil Song from "Don Carlos." But Kozena does it, and I was totally convinced: this is how the Veil Song should sound! The little grace notes, the phrasing, the pacing, the characterization -- it's all there. In fact, the whole recital is a triumph. She has the gift of inhabiting credibly every character and situation, and if the voice sounds just a little over-bright at the top in one or two places, it doesn't matter a bit. Generally, I don't much like recitals like this: one would rather hear the music in context of the whole opera, but where today are you going to get complete recordings of Massenet's "Cendrillon" and "Sapho," or even "Mignon" or "La Dame Blanche"? And "Cinq-Mars'? I didn't even know that was an opera! Credit too to Mark Minkowski -- every orchestral accompaniment is vivid and detailed and creates the sound world of the particular piece. Just listen in sequence to the music from "Don Carlos," La Damnation deFaust," and "L'Heure Espagnole." Kozena is up to them all, and Minkowski's accompaniments are right on the money. There really is no weak link in this recital, but I particularly liked the "Don Carlos" scena; "Connais tu le pays" from "Mignon"; the arias from Massenet's "Cleopatre," "Sapho," and "Don Quichotte"; and Berlioz's "Roi de Thule." All lovers of great dramatic singing need to hear this: an unusual program, rendered with total success.