Richard Strauss
Vier letzte Lieder · Orchestral Songs
Soile Isokoski, soprano · Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin · Marek Janowski, conductor
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Track listing
7 tracks · 60:57Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- 1 Temerari... Come scoglio, from: Così fan tutte 5:48
- 2 Ei parte... Per pietà, ben mio, from: Così fan tutte 8:54
- 3 Bella mia fiamma Concert aria K.528 9:34
- 4 Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben, from: Zaide 6:39
- 5 Ah, lo previdi Concert aria K.272 12:57
- 6 E Susanna non vien!... Dove sono, from: Le nozze di Figaro 6:35
- 7 Ch'io mi scordi di te? Concert aria K.505 10:30
About this recording
This CD features star soprano Soile Isokoski with famous opera and concert arias by Mozart, including "Dove sono" from Figaro and the minuet-lullaby "Ruhe sanft" from Zaide. Conductor Peter Schreier - who is one of the great tenors of the 20th century - leads the Tapiola Sinfonietta throughout the programme. The concert aria "Ch'io mi scordi di te?" - a hybrid of piano concerto and opera genre - features a piano soloist part, performed by Mrs. Isokoski's longstanding duo partner Marita Viitasalo.
Features
Booklet with liner notes in English, German, French and Finnish and the song lyrics in the original language and in English
Press
After all, immortal Mozart singing still does exist! (...) Soile Isokoski's Mozart rendition is a true revelation and can hardly be topped technically nor stilistically. (...) One of the best albums available of Mozart arias.
Alain Steffen, Pizzicato, April 2005, 20, Supersonic Award
Is there a finer Mozart singer today than Soile Isokoski? Her sumptuous lyric soprano is in its absolute prime. And she deploys it with unfailing beauty and insight into character and situation.
The Daily Telegraph, December 13, 2004, Classical CD of the Year
The silvery warmth of her timbre, occasionally reminiscent of Schwarzkopf in her earlier recordings, is the near-ideal instrument for Countess Almaviva, Elvira and Fiordiligi.
The Sunday Times, Classical CD of the Week
Ruhe sanft is surely a candidate for Mozart's loveliest aria, and I don't think I've ever heard it sung with such caressing tenderness and beauty as here… This is superlative Mozart singing by a soprano in her absolute prime.
BBC Radio 3, CD Review
Here is the perfect singing delivered by the kind of voice whose sheer beauty makes the hairs on the back of your neck prickly.
Classic FM Magazine
The artists
Soile Isokoski
Soile Isokoski is recognized as one of the world's finest lyric sopranos. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she gave her début recital in Helsinki in 1986 and subsequently won a number of important international singing competitions. She made her début at the Finnish National Opera as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and has since delighted audiences and critics alike at opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, London, Milan and Paris, at The Metropolitan Opera and at music festivals in Salzburg, Savonlinna, Edinburgh and Orange.
Tapiola Sinfonietta
The Tapiola Sinfonietta has established itself as Finland’s premier chamber orchestra. Founded as the Espoo City Orchestra in 1987, it currently has 44 members. The orchestra is known for its adventurous repertoire planning and has been widely acclaimed for nuanced performances across a wide range of eras and styles.
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