Search - De Los Angeles, Moore, Handel :: Victoria De Los Angeles Sings

De Los Angeles Legend Refreshed

Larry W. Josefovitz | Manchester, CT United States | 12/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The new BBC Legends recital of Victoria de Los Angeles singing in her prime makes me wish the archive search for unreleased performances of my favorite artists could go on forever, as their unmistakably special vocal and stylistic qualities are rarely if ever found in contemporary performances. In a field of beautiful flowers this one stands out for its delicious color, graceful shape and unforgettable personality. Her silvery tone - like a welcoming beacon in the night - and innocent grace aside, I am taken by the quality of solitude in her art. One senses she is sharing something private. It is a modest sharing, and it is received publicly with a private warmth.De Los Angeles' singing embodies the effortlessness of bel canto, with an ability to expand or diminish a tone at will, never forcing either vocally or interpretively. She shapes every line with gentle personality, revealing the inner meaning of the script.

The recital contains some selections unavailable on her other recordings, any of them worth the price of admission. For example, Brahms' 'Nachtigal', which has a lonely, aphoristic quality I would first have identified with Wolf. Delibe's 'Bonjour Suzon' is given as a special treat, as is Stravinsky's 'Pastorelle.' It is interesting to compare the fluency of her runs in Baroque material with her less calculated, more natural executions of embellishments in Spanish repertoire. Nowhere in this recital does one sense reasons for her abbreviated operatic career and vocal decline. Unlike great singers such as Tebaldi and Scotto, on whose marvelous early recordings one may detect the slight element of pushing the voice for which a price was paid later, de Los Angeles' recordings are innocent of clues. I am grateful she excelled in repertoire with more limited demands which would charm us for many subsequent years.This recital is not to be missed."