The gorgeous-voiced Ninon Vallin (1886-1961) had a repertoire that ranged from Carmen to Lohengrin and Madama Butterfly; her impeccable technique could carry her large lyric sound to the top row of whatever opera house she was singing in. You are immediately struck by the solidity of her tone–there’s never a hint of a waver, even though the vibrato can be rich–and there’s no variation in quality from top to bottom. The sheer beauty can carry the listener far, but not all the way: Vallin is so scrupulous to the letter of the score, at least on recordings, that she almost never uses any sort of rubato, and after a while the effect is one of literal-mindedness. You long for a lingering on a note for expression; even the beautiful soaring ascent to and descent from Louise’s high-B is far more admirable than moving. But on the other hand, her Elsa is properly dreamy, her Mefistofele Margerita is nicely mad, and her Carmen is filled with temperament (aided by a wildly eager Charles Friant). And her “Jewel Song” is simply the best on disc. Vallin is indeed a great singer, and some of her work belongs in every collection–but you may just note a lack of warmth that can be off-putting.
