In her recital debut, our operatic Anna sings an impressive and difficult collection of arias from Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Gounod, Dvořák, Berlioz, Puccini, and Massenet and for the most part, comes off like a champion. Singing with controlled passion and verve, she does especially well in the Mozart and Dvořák. What an Ilia she would make on stage! As for her Donna Anna, it would be impossible to believe even a Lothario like Don Giovanni would forsake her. Anna Netrebko’s vocalism in the beautiful aria from Rusalka would melt hearts of stone. The slight edge in her creamy voice is just perfect for this music—less so, perhaps for the bright tones of Manon and Lucia. Though Netrebko is an accomplished coloratura, she is a little clumsy in the Lucia and Sonnambula arias. But as a born communicator, even her less-successful efforts still give pleasure. I have seen Anna Netrebko three times in the theater and can confirm that, if anything, she sounds better than on this disc, with a surprisingly large voice for such a slender figure. It is possible that better engineering might have removed the edge to her tone, which I did not hear in three theaters: The Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Royal Festival Hall in London, and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Anna Netrebko is indeed a singer worth traveling for.

-- James Camner, FANFARE