Julia Lezhneva sings Rossini

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there is real flair and talent here, with much of the coloratura neatly despatched, and some stylistic grace that is admirable...Minkowski and his Polish musicians are marvellous, especially... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2011, 3 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 18th Apr 2011
Catalogue No: V5221
Label: Naive
Length: 57 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

18th April 2011
Gramophone Magazine

July 2011

Editor's Choice

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Excerpt, Rossini: La donna del lago

Work length7:50

$2.00

$2.60

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus
Marc Minkowski

La donna del lago (The Lady of the Lake), Act II: Tanti affetti in un momento

Track length7:50

$2.00

$2.60

Excerpt, Rossini: Guillaume Tell

Work length8:19

$2.00

$2.60

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus, Sinfonia Varsovia
Marc Minkowski

Guillaume Tell (William Tell), Act II: Ils s'eliognent enfin

Track length8:19

$2.00

$2.60

Excerpt, Rossini: Semiramide

Work length9:40

$2.00

$2.60

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus
Marc Minkowski

Semiramide, Act I: Bel raggio lusinghier

Track length9:40

$2.00

$2.60

Excerpt, Rossini: Otello

Work length8:34

$2.00

$2.60

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus, Sinfonia Varsovia
Marc Minkowski

Otello, ossia Il moro di Venezia, Act III: Canzone: Assisa a' pie d'un salice

Track length8:34

$2.00

$2.60

Excerpt, Rossini: La Cenerentola

Work length17:13

$4.00

$5.20

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus, Sinfonia Varsovia
Marc Minkowski

Sinfonia

Track length7:22

$2.00

$2.60

Act II: Della Fortuna instabile

Track length9:51

$2.00

$2.60

Excerpt, Rossini: Le Siège de Corinthe

Work length6:16

$1.00

$1.30

Julia Lezhneva (soprano)
Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw Chamber Opera Chorus
Marc Minkowski

Le siege de Corinthe, Act III: L'ora fatal…Giusto ciel! in tal periglio

Track length6:16

$1.00

$1.30

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Recording of the Week, Julia Lezhneva sings Rossini

18th April 2011

Katherine enjoys a hugely promising debut solo album from the Russian soprano (who was just nineteen when the recording was made), including arias from La cenerentola, La donna del lago and Guillaume Tell with Marc Minkowski and Sinfonia Varsovia.

A star is born! The Russian soprano Julia Lezhneva is the vocal revelation that everyone is talking about. Still only 21, a protégée of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the winner of several major awards, Lezhneva makes her solo recital debut with a programme of arias by Rossini, a composer of whom is particularly fond. She is accompanied by the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by its new artistic director Marc Minkowski.

In 2007 Julia Lezhneva won the prestigious Elena Obraztsova International Competition for Young Opera Singers in St Petersburg, for which the judges included Teresa Berganza, Christa Ludwig and Eva Marton. She has sung opposite Juan Diego Flórez at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and made her UK debut, aged 19, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, also performing Rossini. Her London debut, introduced by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, came at the 2010 Classical Brit Awards singing Elena’s Final Rondo from Rossini’s La Donna del Lago in the Royal Albert Hall.

In October 2010 she confirmed her status as one of the world’s most exciting talents by winning the First International Opera Competition held at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris. Her performance in the recent Naïve recording of Vivaldi’s opera Ottone in Villa, conducted by Giovanni Antonini, has been praised to the skies by the international press. Her debut solo concerts at the 2010 Salzburg Festival with the Mozarteum Orchestra and Marc Minkowski likewise achieved extraordinary success. Minkowski has followed the young singer’s career closely; it was he who invited her in 2009 to take part in Bach’s B minor Mass, her first recording, and in summer 2011 she will sing the part of Fiordiligi under his baton in a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte at Salzburg. Despite her youth, Julia Lezhneva has a huge and extremely varied repertoire, ranging from the Baroque and bel canto styles to Romantic and contemporary music.

Reviews

June 2011

there is real flair and talent here, with much of the coloratura neatly despatched, and some stylistic grace that is admirable...Minkowski and his Polish musicians are marvellous, especially in a knockout account of the Cenerentola overture.

July 2011

she delivers truly heart-stopping versions of the coloratura showpieces...Marc Minkowski's conducting is full of joie de vivre and sparkle too.

July 2011

a pure, pellucid soprano with an intriguing hint of mezzo plangency, fluent movement between the registers, and scintillating (if faintly aspirated) coloratura...this is a highly enjoyable debut recital, by turns affecting exhilarating, from a soprano of impressive accomplishment and still more exciting potential. Orchestral accompaniments are trim and alert

April 2011

She has attractively full tone in the lower middle, where much of the music lies, and she possesses the flexibility to negotiate exceedingly challenging coloratura...[Minkowski] should lead Rossini more frequently - his vigour, intelligence and sheer polish are most welcome here.

18th April 2011

the first thing which impresses is the range of vocal colour and unforced fullness of tone – I hesitate to say ‘maturity’, because the basic sound is so unfailingly fresh and even, with no hint of any pressure, wobble or precocious fruitiness even in the lower reaches of this demanding programme...But what really makes this disc special for me is the sheer infectious joy which Lezhneva conveys in singing this music.

3rd April 2011

The 21-year-old Russian soprano — winner of Finland’s prestigious Mirjam Helin singing competition in 2009 — is clearly a name to watch. Hers is a bright, high soprano of limpid timbre and an easy coloratura technique

5th May 2011

Her sense of line is unquestionably superb, as is her technique: there are trills and staccatos here, the likes of which we hear all too rarely.

29th April 2011

Lezhneva's voice is perfectly suited to a flamboyant coloratura piece such as "Tanti Affetti", from La Donna del Iago, with her tiptoeing trills teetering delicately along. But the standout here is "Assisa a' piè d'un salice...for which the liquid harp glissandi and subtle strings of the Sinfonia Varsovia provide the most delightful, sensitive setting.

Opera Now September/October 2011

she sings with pinpoint accuracy, real elegance and musicality, and the voice itself is warm and round and womanly and beautifully clean...there is a gorgeous relaxed feel to her singing...This lovely disc, neatly accompanied by Marc Minkowski and the Sinfonia Varsovia, is genuinely the herald of a special new voice.

26th June 2011

Lezhneva’s vibrant pyrotechnics during "Tanti affeti" from La donna del lago are as wittily entertaining as they are musically appropriate...There’s crisp support from the Warsaw chorus and effortless, gossamer-light orchestral backing. Remarkable indeed.

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Julia Lezhneva sings Rossini

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Recording of the Week, Julia Lezhneva sings Rossini

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