Young soprano Lise Davidsen has had major operatic appearances and has released albums for Dacapo and BIS. However, this self-titled album on Decca is being billed as her solo debut, and it is indeed an ambitious statement that lives up to the considerable buzz around this singer. For a dramatic soprano, her voice is on the small side; she isn't going to put anyone in mind of Kirsten Flagstad. It is, nonetheless, a thing of a thousand shades, with smooth duration and incredible breath control more than replacing power. ...
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Young soprano Lise Davidsen has had major operatic appearances and has released albums for Dacapo and BIS. However, this self-titled album on Decca is being billed as her solo debut, and it is indeed an ambitious statement that lives up to the considerable buzz around this singer. For a dramatic soprano, her voice is on the small side; she isn't going to put anyone in mind of Kirsten Flagstad. It is, nonetheless, a thing of a thousand shades, with smooth duration and incredible breath control more than replacing power. There's an attractive bit of roughness in her vocal timbre, rare in one so young, and rarer still used with such control. The mix of operatic and art song material here is ideal for Davidsen's voice. She makes a seamless transition between the Wagner and Strauss operatic excerpts at the beginning and the popular Vier Lieder, Op. 27. You could dip in anywhere for samples, but the Vier letzte Lieder are really outstanding. If you listen to the last one, Im Abendrot, in some nostalgic place...
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