French Arias

French Arias

Having dazzled us with her coloratura ability in arias by Mozart, Gluck, and her fellow Czech, Myslivecek, this luscious young mezzo-soprano now offers us a generous program of French arias--15 of them, widely varied in tone, weight, dramatic intent, and style--and conquers and convinces in them all. Beginning again in coloratura territory, an aria from Auber's rare <I>Le domino noir</I> catches our attention with the heroine's opening words, "Je suis sauvée enfin!" ("I am safe at last!"), in which she paints the picture of our out-of-breath heroine immediately. Throughout the CD we meet the doomed, tragic Sappho in Gounod's opera; Dulcinée in the same composer's <I>Don Quichotte</I>, here presented first as lamenting lover, then as spitfire, with Kozena reaching down into her most sultry chest voice; a dreamy Marguerite in Berlioz's <I>La damnation de Faust</I>; a Princess languorously singing of the night in an exquisite aria from Gounod's all-but-unknown <I>Cinq-Mars</I>; and many others, each of whom Kozena imbues with her individual stamp, flawless technique, musicality, and beautiful tone. Almost as a bonus, the CD ends with Carmen's Gypsy Song - a real razzle-dazzler. Kozena is a great singer and this is a great recital CD--a must. <I>--Robert Levine</I>