Soile Isokoski is one of those sopranos who is so reliably good that she is taken for granted. While it’s true that she lacks glamour onstage, and in fact lacks a bit of vocal allure as well, her lyric voice is beautiful, her phrasing intelligent and invariably musical. This is her first recital of “chestnuts”, and while comparisons are odious, one must admit that while it offers lovely performances, there is little here to get thrilled about.
Best is the opener, Tatyana’s Letter Scene from Onegin, and Isokoski leaves nothing out–it has a nervous energy and underlying confusion that are just right, and her Russian seems utterly idiomatic. Her Marguerite in Faust is sung (and conducted) a bit slowly, and as a result some of the excitement and wonderment are missing from the scene. Micaela’s aria is perfect, but I’ve never been able to get worked up over it (unless Freni was singing it) and cannot here either.
Mimi’s first aria is nice, with a good, Puccinian blossoming of the voice on the high-As, and Liu’s second aria is pretty. But I can recall five other versions of each I’d rather hear. (I would have liked to hear Mimi’s and Liu’s other arias as well, and on a CD of only 57 minutes there was certainly space.) The Verdi fares quite well, with Amelia’s “Come in quest’ora bruna” sung with pearly tone and just the right degree of anticipation. Desdemona’s Willow Scene and Ave Maria suit Isokoski’s type of downhearted delivery just right, and all of the dynamics are spotlessly in place.
What to do? This recital does everything but enchant. Mikko Franck leads the terrific Helsinki forces handsomely, if somewhat languidly, and the sonics are perfectly balanced. I enjoyed it but suspect I will not go back and listen to it again unless I’m proving a point or introducing Isokoski to some friends. There’s a lack of attachment to the music despite how “perfectly” everything is placed. And so–a wonderful voice, a superb orchestra, a nice program, and a lack of enthusiasm.
