Search - Giacomo Puccini, Welsh Traditional, George Gershwin :: Pie Jesu

An Introduction

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 02/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Denise Leigh makes her debut solo recital album here with a varied program of isolated arias and songs that really do not indicate the depth of talent that may be there. The voice is small, sweet, true in pitch, capable of nice phrasing and breathing techniques, but a touch on the superficial side of the works she sings.



Of note, Denise Leigh was born blind and overcame her distracters who said she would never make it as an opera singer on stage when she won the English National Opera 'Operatunity' award with her colleague Jane Gilchrist. Since that award in 2004 she has appeared with the English National Opera and has a following not unlike that of Bocelli. Here is an artist of courage, at the beginning of a career and it will be interesting to follow just how the voice will develop.



On this recital Leigh sings arias from 'La Boheme', 'Otello', 'Porgy and Bess', 'Il barbière di Siviglia',

'Roméo et Juliette', 'Giulio Cesare in Egitto', 'Die Zauberflöte', 'Giuditta', as well as arias from 'The Messiah', and works by Franck, Villa-Lobos, Bach, Rutter and others. It is indeed a sampler and while not all of the arias succeed, there is a plaintive gentle quality to her voice that, given the right roles at the right time, may result in an important artist.



She is ably accompanied by Leo Siberski conducting the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps this will be a voice to watch...Grady Harp, February 06

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