Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Celebrating Rossini!!!

It is with great pleasure, great astonishment, and great excitement that I introduce to you my next disc:

Rossini Arias: Colbran, the Muse...



I'm enjoying what is being billed as my "Rossini Year", having started with Rosina in London this summer, bringing her back for the opening this Saturday back at the MET with a brilliant cast, this disc launches on Tuesday here in the States (soon elsewhere, as well!), and finishing the season with my first Elena's in Donna del Lago. There are lots of little black notes in my immediate future, and hopefully yours as well, as I would LOVE for you to take a listen to the disc, enjoy the genius that is Rossini - inspired by his admiration and love for Isabella - and help me celebrate this most special of composers!!!

And, in a short health update - for the record, I just finished the final dress rehearsal of Barbiere here at the MET, and I finished standing on both legs. That felt GREAT!!!!

Hoping everyone's opera-going season is off to as great a start as mine!

22 comments:

Irishrover said...

I've been waiting for this video for ages, and finally here it is! I really like Emi's promotional videos, because one have a glimpse of the tracks on the CD, on the recording process, on the state of mind of the singer... It shows an evolution instead of a finished product, and I quite like it.

I already love how you performed "Giusto ciel, in tal periglio"... With the harp, it's so hauntingly beautiful. I got shivers all down my spine... just with 40sec. I can't imagine when I'll be listening to the whole aria :)

Btw does anyone know if the US release is the same for UK? I'll guess Amazon will be my friend if not ^^

Raisa said...

Dear Joyce:
Thank you so much for posting this beautiful CD preview. Look forward to listening to it!

CEOofTeamKEly said...

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to hearing your Rosina at the Met this October. Also, it was such a pleasure to meet you earlier this evening at the panel. Thanks for being so kind to this undergrad. :)

Kim said...

I'm so happy to hear that you're doing better! I cannot wait to see you on Saturday. This is the first time I'm going to see you live; I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time! And how perfect for it to be Rosina. I'm very glad that this is a "Rossini year" for you since you are someone who can bring true beauty to his work. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to the craft. Toi toi toi for Saturday; I'll be there cheering you on!

Conti said...

Dear Joyce! I'm so exited about your new CD! Do you know if and when will it be released in Israel?

Mei said...

My opera season had started with your Barbiere, if we consider it as a season opener...

I wish I could get tickets for La Donna del lago at Opera Garnier...

Looking forward to this CD...

Unknown said...

Congratualtions! Love the video, can't wait for the album...

And great to hear you are better...

Gi said...

Lovely! I ordered it from amazon.co.uk and am looking forwards to its launch and arrival, surely in time for my birthday :-)

Sarah said...

I loved watching the video! Now I'm trying to figure out where the chorus was when you were singing! My knowledge of recording procedure is nonexistent, obviously.

Willym said...

Waiting impatiently for the release. It was wonderful that you were here in Roma recording with our great Orch Santa Cecilia but when will we see you live?

Yankeediva said...

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments! I'm so happy to know that the anticipation is building for this release - and I'm sorry that the folks across the pond have to wait a bit to receive it, but it WILL get there!!

And Sarah, it is kind of funny to hear the audio of the chorus, but not see them - we only had them for one day, and the film crew couldn't stay until the end of the week to get them on tape. It was quite a scheduling feat, because the chorus is featured on 6 of the 8 tracks (mostly for all the big finales!) and I knew that I couldn't record ALL of my interjections in one recording day, so we pre-recorded during the week all that we could without the chorus, and the brilliant sound engineers worked their magic in the editing room. Although I will say it was quite manic to record all those finales in one day with the chorus - we worked like dogs to get it all in!!

Unknown said...

Wait...which came first...Una Voce or the Elisabetta aria?

Glòria said...

I would be very happy if in my opera season, which started at Liceu with l'Arbore di Diana, could get tickets for La Donna del Lago at Opera Garnier. Who knows!!!.

I can't wait anymore for your new album about Rossini!.

marcillac said...

Looking forward to the CD, and even more to the Barbiere later this month. Best of luck tonight. Normally you wouldn't need it, but after what happened in London it never hurts to be safe, as I sincerely hope you'll remain.

Just at the moment listening to the beginning of your San Fran Rosenkavalier on the radio (damn you're good - must sing him more often, must make effort to hear live) and watching some college football on the tevee. Noon slate, unlike the DR, is pretty mediocre, as usual, but one tries to combine as much entertainment as one can one can in one's limited leisure time. (Alabama just scored and Oaks just made his understated entrance, not entirely unlike the Bama running back in the end zone).

Once again the very best of luck tonight.

Sarah said...

Thank you for the explanation - now I'll have to watch the video again. My opera season just started magically with the last performance of "The Pearl Fishers" here in St. Paul ;-)

Laura86 said...

Joyce, I'm so looking forward to the release of your new CD (I've pre-ordered on Amazon UK)! As far as I can judge by the trailer, you've really outdone yourself again!

I hope a concert tour promoting this disc will take you to Amsterdam soonish (next season?) - after hearing your jaw-dropping wheelchaired Rosina in London last summer, I'm dying to hear live what you can do to the rest of Rossini! ;)

The best of luck for your MET Rosinas!

Unknown said...

Hey Joyce, I'm really looking forward to your new CD! Your ears must be burning all the time with folks talking about you. Your name came up today with me and Emily Pulley and Jerry Barnard. Hope you are well (leg fully healed!) and happy.

I admire you so much!

Cherry

David said...

Hello Ms. diDonato -

Congratulations on the new Colbran disc: I should have my copy in the next day or so, and I'm very anxious to hear it. I commend you for communicating with the public through your excellent blog! It is a pleasure to follow your career through such personal relections as you contribute here. Thank you for including us.

As a long-time admirer of Rossini's Colbran operas, I am really looking forward to hearing your personal interpretations of these great arias. In my opinion, the ten Colbran vehicles (the nine Naples operas, plus Semiramide) are all too seldom preformed, so here's hoping you will continue in this vein beyond your auspicious undertaking of Elena next spring. I really think you would excel as Armida, Zelmira, and especially Ermione, so I hope you are considering these. The bel canto composers need intelligent and technically accomplished singers like YOU, so please keep exploring! If the rumors are true that you will take on Stuarda in a few years, I will surely be in attendance.

Very best wishes to you for continued success. You deserve every bit of it!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on another job well-done, Ms. Didonato! At the crack of dawn this Tuesday, I logged on to my computer, opened iTUNES, and downloaded your Rossini disc. It's an absolute delight.

The opening track from ARMIDA is a showstopper! Still, I find myself returning most often to "Bel raggio lusinghier." I love your tone and the various colors you use to express Semiramide's exuberance. I also can't get enough of the rousing ending. Your high Bs and As are to die for--they're so juicy!

Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks as I listened to this recording for the first time. It's difficult to imagine those judges saying--with straight faces--that you had nothing to offer the world as an artist. I'm grateful you didn't remain discouraged.

Thank you.

Ygor C.S. said...

I know this will sound like a like, but I and my brother really talked about some time ago about why nobody still had recorded an album in homage to Isabella Colbran. And of course we also chatted about the voices who could face the difficult challenge of singing those killer roles written for her, and DiDonato was THE unanimous choice! I'm very glad you recorded this album, it's really one of the all-arias-you-wished-she-sang albums. The Armida selection sounds particularly thrilling! I still get amazed at how easy and perfectly accurate the notes come out of your mouth, the result is absolutely flawless but never sounds mechanical or "too" technical. This is just the same quality I notice when I listen to Horne or Sutherland. Thanks again for sharing your great artistry!

A Crone's Life said...

What a treat, a delicious treat. Thank you!

jill martin said...

Joyce, Your new CD is absolutely fabulous!