Suddenly the world is awash in lyric-going-on-spinto sopranos. Gheorghiu, Gallardo-Domas (Harnoncourt’s victim in his recent Aida), and now Barbara Frittoli. Frittoli seems to be the real thing. The quality of the voice is lovely and it’s evenly produced from top to bottom (with a nice “buzz” on top notes and body in the middle); she also pays attention to the text, is careful of the composer’s dynamic markings, and can color her sound to suit the situation. Her sound is not mellow, but it’s appealing. Her coloratura ability is that of a well-schooled lyric rather than a virtuoso; nonetheless, she’s excellent in Violetta’s “Sempre libera” and the cabaletta to Leonora’s first-act aria from Trovatore. Her “Tu che le vanita” is more in the tradition of Freni than say, Callas, Tebaldi, or Caballé. That aria requires more weight than her voice currently carries, but she still serves it well, and she and Colin Davis fill the 12 minutes (more than the average for this aria) with dramatic tension.
As Leonora in Trovatore she is just right–Verdi would recognize the role and his heroine and applaud loudly. Ditto Luisa Miller, a role very similar in weight to Leonora (whether critics like to acknowledge it or not). Perhaps throughout this recital you might want a voice with a bit more heft, but this is carping: Frittoli is a sensitive, intelligent, genuine “Italian” soprano. Having Davis at the helm can only help, and Erato’s engineers have captured the voice and orchestra nicely, with no “atmospheric” interference. The CD is filled out (to almost 80 minutes) by fine readings of the overture to Luisa Miller and the Prelude to the last act of Traviata. Highly recommended.
