Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Andre Previn, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra :: Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart

Still Amazing After 15 Years!

M. Bish | Rochester, NY United States | 02/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of Kathleen Battle's first recitals for EMI/Angel and still one of her best. It has all of the trademarks that make her releases distinctive: immaculate singing, wonderful diction, and unforced, very natural-sounding coloratura passage-work. Hers is a voice tailor-made for Mozart. Her intonation is flawless and she sings "cleanly" (without scooping and other signs of an unrefined technique). The standouts here are tracks 1, 2, 3, and 5. This disc contains THE definitive recording of "Exsultate, Jubilate" which closes with the well-known vocal work "Alleluja." It is here that Ms. Battle demonstrates her mastery of coloratura. I was blown out of my seat by her rendition of "Vorrei Spiegarvi, Oh Dio!" The high-lying phrases of this song (in which she is mirrored by a wind instrument) are heavenly and, I feel, really communicate the heft of the text. To this day, only Natalie Dessay's version surpasses this one as far as accuracy and expression, in my opinion. This is a wonderful CD that no lover of Mozart or Kathleen Battle is complete without!"

You can't go wrong with Kathleen

Alyssa Morhardt | New York, NY | 01/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, she's crazy, but if you're not working with her then who cares. If you're a lyric, light lyric or coloratura soprano and you want somebody you can listen to not only for inspiration but for amazing technique, you need this CD. Don't expect the wide booming Met voice that's taken over too much of the young artists programs these days, rather get yourself ready for perfectly directed vowels and CLEAN coloratura and pitch. Also, this is her only CD with "Exsultate, jubilate...Alleluia", which is a well-liked and impressive concert aria for the college-age singer to start learning."

Breathtakingly beautiful

Alyssa Morhardt | 09/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this grammy winning perfomance Kathleen Battle is at the peak of her form singing music by one of the composers with whom she has been most associated. Her pure limpid tone along with her enunciation make this recording a true listening pleasure. Her secure technique and interpretation reveal a truly gifted singer. It is no small feat to hit an F above high C as she does with poise in "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh dio" The Exsultate jubilate is full of life and she sings the pants off of the Alleluia to put it in the vernacular. The rest of the recording is simply a delight with an alternate version of "Ch'io mi scordi di te" This recording is highly recommended to fans and those wishing an introduction to this gifted lyric-coloratura soprano"