Soprano Lise Davidsen's Verdi: A Mixed Masterpiece

Soprano Lise Davidsen commemorates her Metropolitan Opera role with a new album of Verdi's demanding arias. While her powerful sound excels in roles like Lady Macbeth, her expressive depth for Verdi's more vulnerable characters is noted as distant, though her technique remains exceptional, particularly in high-register passages. Her performance of Leonora's arias from 'La Forza del Destino' reveals a resplendent, nuanced delivery.

Anthony Davis's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, 'The Central Park Five,' with a libretto by Richard Wesley, has been released for digital access by Long Beach Opera. This recording captures the opera's exploration of the title youths' experience, blending styles like swing and funk with dissonant harmonies reminiscent of Berg's 'Wozzeck.' The performance highlights Davis's ensemble writing and conductor Anthony Parnther's skillful integration of diverse stylistic elements.

Benjamin Britten's three cello suites, composed for Mstislav Rostropovich, are recognized as seminal 20th-century solo cello works, influenced by Bach and contemporary composers. Cellist Pieter Wispelwey offers his third recording of these suites, characterized by meticulous detail and profound expressive intensity. Wispelwey's nuanced timbral shadings and interpretive depth, particularly in the austere Second Suite, bring out the deeply emotional core of Britten's compositions.