Mozart: Concert Arias
Edita Gruberova (soprano)
Leopold Hager / Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra (DG)
(scroll down for English review)
原本想談新晉花腔女高音Lisette Oropesa的莫扎特演奏會詠嘆調專輯，所謂演奏會詠嘆調，就是並非為歌劇而作，由歌者在演奏會唱的詠嘆調。一如現在的詠嘆調專輯，Oropesa又是錄滿一張CD，我聽着聽着，覺得怎麼像過多幾十年後的意大利美聲歌劇？不只是詠嘆調的難度本身，而是Oropesa往往用上唱美聲歌劇的技倆去唱。
花腔女高音、美聲歌劇，我便想起在疫情前退休的夜鶯歌后Edita Gruberova。她這張莫扎特大約在她40歲前的巔峰狀態灌錄，一和Oropesa去比，新一代便相形見絀。Gruberova的厲害不只是她像雙簧管多過人聲的超高音，更是她把其他音符都唱得很有生命，Oropesa就只是唱了音符而不是唱好音符。兩張碟都有的詠嘆調不多，除了Gruberova全張大碟，我在最底再放兩人唱K418詠嘆調的連結，可以比較。
I was listening to Lisette Oropesa’s new Mozart concert arias album, and I thought, this sounds so much like bel canto for coloratura soprano. It isn’t just the technique Mozart called for, but that Oropesa tackled them with the skill set of a bel canto singer.
Bel canto and coloratura… that means Edita Gruberova. She recorded this album before she turned 40, probably at her prime. Pitching the diva against the newcomer and Oropesa was truly no match. Gruberova didn’t just excel in her stratospheric high notes but she brought all other notes to life as well. Oropesa had the notes but without bringing out their full potential like Gruberova did. The Gruberova and Oropesa albums didn’t have many common arias, but I’ll include the two renditions of the K418 aria (Vorrei, spiegavi) for you to compare.