Search - Xenia Meijer :: Xenia Meijer ~ Arias by Purcell, Handel, Mozart

Xenia, Purcell, Haendel and Mozart

stardustraven | Europe | 06/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1996 The Philip Morris Finest Selection category Classical Music was awarded to the young Dutch mezzo-soprano Xenia Meijer, which enabled her to record this disc, and her career certainly took off. Xenia Meijer possesses a very warm, deep, beautiful voice, she's a true mezzo, add to this a wonderful stage presence and acting talent (I was so fortunate to attend one of her concerts) and a versatility in different musical genres. The booklet contains besides information about Xenia Meijer and the composers the lyrics and translations. On this disc Ms. Meijer offers a bouquet of well-known arias by Henry Purcell, Georg Friedrich Haendel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which concern tragedy, heartbreak, love, lust or conceit. The Neues Berliner Kammerorchester conducted by Jac van Steen lends her a sparkling, attentive support and they certainly shine in the only instrumental piece here from Haendel's 'Alcina'.Her rendition of 'Ah! Belinda' and 'Thy Hand ... When I am laid' from Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' is achingly beautiful and very poignant. She's passionate in Haendel's 'E gelosia', 'Hence Iris, hence away' and wistful in his 'O Numi eterni ... Gia superbo'. My favourite of the Mozart arias was her tender and warm Cherubino in 'Voi che sapete' from 'Le Nozze di Figaro'.In my opinion this album is a great introduction to a gorgeous mezzo-soprano, which you should buy if you like that type of voice and/or the composers."