Natalie Dessay - Vocalise

A remarkable voice and an intriguing repertore

I'll be honest. I heard this CD played on Brazilian radio. Had I not done so I probably would not have wanted to buy it, as on the face of it it would have appeared to have been not really my "cup of tea" as the British say.
I have to admit the art of the coloratura soprano is one I have never paid a great deal of attention to, but such is the startling originality of tone and sheer technical brilliance and artistry of Natalie Dessay that I listened to this spellbound. Almost none of her repertoire I was familiar with. You could say they are mostly minor late romantic pieces but there are some absolute gems among them . Rachmaninov's lovely, sad but intensely melodic Vocalise. Le Rossignol et la Rose by Saint Saëns. Les filles de Cadix, a perfect piece of faux-espagnol, both passionate and amusing at once, by Delibes. Ravel's tantalizingly brief Vocalise en forme de habanera and Granados' quintessentially Spanish La Maja y el Ruiseñor ( untranslatable this, The Lady and the Nightingale is far too prissy). My favorite of all, however, was the Russian folk song arrangement, The Nightingale (yes, Nightingales feature very strongly on this CD!), which manages to combine country simplicity with ravishing technical bravura. I wish I could have understood the words, perhaps the CD will provide a translation. If you enjoy singing of any sort you have got to love this. My only complaint is that she did not include a couple of pieces in a different style. Mozart's Queen of the Night for example. August 2, 2007

Interesting and Excellent CD

This is an intriguing CD, featuring Natalie Dessay at her best. One plus: the booklet coming with the CD includes the words of the different works (at least those that have words to them). It's a somewhat different set of works than her other CDs featuring standard selections of arias.

The very first cut sets the tone for the whole CD: Rachmaninov's "Vocalise." No words--the soprano's voice is itself another orchestral instrument in effect. Dessay displays an absolutely ravishing vocal line, to my ears. Very nice high notes at the end, cleanly sung.

Delibes' "Les filles de Cadix." The words of the song feature much flirtation. Dessay's voice shows great agility in this piece. The work features a wide range of notes, from lower to highest; Dessay essays the range well. There is a decent (but not great) trill midway through. There is a very high note at the end (a bit harsh maybe, but well done nonetheless) that kind of gets one's heart pumping.

Gliere's "Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra" (the allegro) is another work where the voice is used as just another instrument. But what a nice instrument is Dessay's voice! She demonstrates nice staccato notes--and there are lots of these in this work! She displays excellent coloratura technique, and hits a series of staccato high notes at the end with a very well done final high note.

Finally, Johann Strauss, Jr.'s "Voices of Spring" ("Fruhlingsstimmen-Walzer" in German). This is a stirring version with a close that leaves the listener gasping for breath (a bit of hyperbole, maybe, but my spine was tingling at the close--and that's not hyperbole). This work is replete with ornamentation--staccato notes, trills, other vocal effects, and high notes. There is an absolutely stunning high note--way above high C to close this cut out.

This is Dessay near the top of her game. It is an interesting departure from the standard repertoire, and the listener will be richly rewarded for purchasing and listening to this CD.
June 5, 2007

WOW!

Truly mind-boggling! The final piece especially - she sings a perfect, staccato high A-flat!!! Many high Fs, etc. Yes, it is all about the voice, technique, and high notes here, but she sings it all with her own unique style - buy it now! October 30, 2006

Vocalise

Natalie Dessay's voice shines throughout these selections. Her technique is at times astounding. This recording is a very enjoyable experience. July 5, 2006

Not a review on the cd itself....

I will start by saying that just from listening to the excerpts, Ms. Dessay has a wonderful tone quality and great control...she does make what is actually very difficult sound very easy! But basically this is a note to the reviewer who compared her to Rennee Fleming...Fleming is a Lyric Soprano, a type of soprano that has a warmer richer tone, while Dessay is a Colloratura Soprano, which is higher and clearer (and who tend to do the "vocal gymnastics")...so really its not very fair to compare two exceptional singers when they are in different vocal categories because they have completely different tone qualities...it just depends on your personal preference. April 28, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...