| Believe in Love: Rare French and Italian Opera Arias - Review Excerpts |
 AllMusic Guide (USA) (January 2008) "Elizabeth Whitehouse brings intelligence, passion, and a strong interpretive personality to the arias... an attractive, light lyric voice [...] that's agile and expressive... Richard Bonynge leads Orchestra Victoria in elegant and passionate accompaniment. Melba's sound is excellent - clear and present. Performance: **** stars / Sound **** 1/2 stars" 3MBS FM Libretto (Australia) (October / November 2007) "Hats off to Richard Bonynge, soprano Elizabeth Whitehouse and Melba Recordings for offering such a rare treat... for lovers of fine singing and adventurous repertoire, this CD is a must." American Record Guide (USA) (September / October 2007) "the selections are immediately captivating... Whitehouse is passionate, eloquent, and tonally rich... Bonynge conducts confidently and effectively..." Opera Now (UK) (September / October 2007) "a world of tragic heroines... Richard Bonynge and Orchestra Victoria provide enjoyable accompaniment." Orpheus (Germany) (September / October 2007) "[Whitehouse's] fresh dramatic soprano voice... can bloom into a sensual sound... her phrasing is flexible with a good legato, a clear articulation and a good understanding of her craft." 2MBS Fine Music Magazine (Australia) (September 2007) "for this wonderfully presented recital of rarities, the presentation and notes are quite outstanding... all praise to the artists for their research into this repertoire... The recording is very warm and clear" Opera~Opera (Australia) (August 2007) "there is plenty to admire... Whitehouse's sound is pure voluptuousness, heard in splendid collaboration with the rhapsodic, ocean-like swells of Orchestra Victoria." Audiophile Audition (USA) (20 July 2007) "Whitehouse... makes a good case for these works... Bonynge... there is no one on earth more qualified to lead such a project. The sound is excellent with good depth... The packaged presentation of the Australian label is a model of its kind." Canberra Times (Australia) (6 June 2007) "another elegant operatic release from Melba... in this collection of operatic gems both orchestra and voice are captured with a tonal quality of high fidelity and notable beauty." MusicWeb International (UK) (June 2007) "impressive sound quality... [Whitehouse] delivers honest, considered readings ... Bonynge, always curious about unknown music, pilots his forces through these rarities with a safe hand... The hardback disc + book package is classy... Readers with an interest in some operatic by-ways will find much to enjoy here" Turok’s Choice (USA) (June 2007) Anaclase (France) (May 2007) SA-CD.net (Australia) (27 March 2007) "this is a delightful collection of soprano arias, rendered with considerable style and flair... All the selections are very listenable... a very worthwhile addition... Let’s hope the titles keep on flowing! Performance: 5 stars Sonics: 5 stars" La Discoteca de HispaOpera (Spain) (March 2007) Opus High Definition (France) (March 2007) Diapason (France) (March 2007) ClassiqueNews (France) (1 February 2007) The Age "Green Guide" (Australia) (22 February 2007) Readings (Australia) (February 2007) Opera Nostalgia (Belgium) (February 2007) Opera Magazine (France) (January 2007) Thomas’ Music (Australia) (December 2006)
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