Magdalena Kožená’s multi-lingual recital shows this singer’s formidable talent for performing widely varying musical styles. Beginning with her idiomatic French (of which we had a substantial sampling on her previous French arias disc on DG–type Q7024 in Search Reviews), she uses her light but well-placed and penetrating mezzo to illuminate Ravel’s seductive Madagascar Songs. Listen to how Kožená creates a near-hypnotic effect with her passionate repeated cries of “Nahandove”. In Shostakovich’s Satires (5 Romances for Soprano and Piano ) Kožená embodies the composer’s varied emotional states, from bemusement to sarcasm, and, in the concluding “Kreutzer Sonata”, repressed frenzy, although this last calls for more edginess than the soft-toned mezzo is able to provide.
After Shostakovich’s sharp edges, Respighi’s lush romantic rhapsody Il Tramonto allows Kožená the opportunity to luxuriate in long, expansive melodic lines as well as in the resonance of pure Italianate vowels, for which the singer provides an engaging fullness of tone and depth of expression. From this we turn to Schulhoff’s Drei Stimmungsbilder (for mezzo-soprano, violin, and piano), which begins with a lazy, quasi blues song about the sea and ends in a Debussian impressionistic haze. Kožená’s creamy tone and gentle delivery make even the German language sound soft and inviting. In Britten’s Charm of Lullabies Kožená’s occasional odd stress and prolonged vowels make it apparent she’s not a native English speaker. No matter, her sincerity and unerring musical instincts shine through, communicating the power and poignancy of Britten’s songs.
The well-chosen selections offer a variety of accompaniments, from the flute, cello, and piano trio in the Ravel, to the string quartet in the Respighi, with Malcom Martineau’s sensitive pianism providing fundamental support throughout. DG’s recording provides vividly realistic sonics, placing the singer and instrumentalists in natural, well-balanced perspective. In sum, this is an excellent recital disc that will please connoisseurs of the voice as well as collectors of uncommon repertoire. [9/10/2004]
