Puccini ≡ Passion
THE RICHARD BONYNGE EDITION
Cheryl Barker (Soprano), Orchestra Victoria
Surprising though it may sound, Richard Bonynge has conducted comparatively little Puccini, which accounts for the delectable freshness of approach he brings to this disc in a first collaboration with Cheryl Barker.
Maestro Bonynge brings fresh insight to Puccini’s music in his recording Puccini ≡ Passion, not the massively voiced and often dramatically disjointed performance often heard, but one where vocal line and orchestral colour have primacy to drive the emotional impact.
Cheryl Barker first broke the hearts of audiences worldwide as Mimi in Baz Luhrman’s imaginative production of La bohème from the Sydney Opera House. In Puccini ≡ Passion the radiant Barker delivers beguiling performances featuring a panoply of Puccini’s heroines in music ranging from cherished favourites to little known treasures.
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“Puccini famously liked to write about “little women”, but he gave them ‘big’ music, which is one thing that makes Cheryl Barker so ideal an interpreter of his soprano roles… her lyric soprano, with an indefinably sweet vibrancy built in to the tone, adds immeasurably to her appeal. With that vibrancy comes a sense of vulnerability, which helps her bring the characters alive in both vocal and dramatic terms… This most welcome disc allows her to present an overview of Puccini's women from the very beginning.” Rodney Milnes, (Opera)
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“This is a very attractive disc, well recorded and with excellent orchestral playing… Go out and buy!” MusicWeb International (UK)
“One of the best available Puccini aria recordings… you might find you need a fresh box of tissues close at hand” SA-CD.net (UK)
“Cheryl Barker… takes the listener to the emotional heart of the music” Opus Haute Définition (France)
“Passion abounds, as the title promises” Otago Daily Times (NZ)
“Eloquent, vibrant performances” New Classics (UK)
“Barker’s is a cut above [other Puccini recitals] and I have no reservations about recommending it” Fanfare (US)
“A welcome collation of Puccini arias and songs… There are considerable pleasures to be had” Music Forum
“[Barker is] a highly skilled and committed singer who gives her all” MusicWeb International (UK)
“Barker’s own supple soprano is a world beater” Herald Sun Weekend Magazine (Australia)
“[Richard Bonynge] brings a sensitive hand and undisputed sense of the theatre” The Australian (Australia)
