Vivica Genaux: Vivaldi Pyrotechnics

Wholenote Discoveries - February 2010 American mezzo Vivica Genaux, concentrates on a single composer: Vivaldi, on “Pyrotechnics”. Genaux’s disc is impressive not simply for the number of notes sung or the sheer technical accomplishment of the singing, but also for the skill with which she uses coloratura to express emotion. Though her voice is earthy and vibrant, with a visceral, palpitating quality, it is light enough to give it a buoyancy that allows Genaux to navigate astoundingly difficult coloratura with ease. This facility with the passagework lets her focus on the drama, so that arias such as “Agitata da due venti” from La Griselda are not simply Baroque showpieces, but music sung by true operatic characters. Genaux’s singing is bolstered by the flamboyant playing of the period instrument group Europa Galante under Fabio Biondi. Seth Estrin