(The) Magic of Kasarova

Advantages: Kasarova's personal touch. Virtuosic without showing off
Disadvantages: She doesn't keep singing forever

...This CD is a compilation of 10 operatic arias for the mezzo soprano voice. The line up ranges from the Baroque opening number to the Classical Mozart to the late Romantic Bel Canto Donizetti opera numbers. All are gloriously sung by the Bulgarian mezzo Vesselina Kasarova, and beautifully accompanied by maestro Friedrich Haider and the Munich Radio Orchestra/ Chorus of the Bavarian Radio. Vesselina Kasarova is known for her multi-coloured deep and melancholy voice (a very distinctly identifiable one at that!) and her interpretative intensity. Every note that she sings is a part of the story she is telling. Her florid coloratura (virtuoso decoration of the main melodic line) is legendary, and yet they are never gratuitous. This is a dream singer for anyone who likes drama and theatrically involved singing..... and she doesn't compromize... Read review

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Advantages: The experience of getting inside an artistic head
Disadvantages: French not quite idiomatic

...This 1995 CD was the Bulgarian mezzo soprano opera singer Vesselina Kasarova's first solo album. She was only 30 years old then, but age is not necessarily the arbitor of thoughtfulness. It is telling that despite of the French's tendency to be very picky of how their language is sung, this CD won the Prix Maurice Ravel despite of some pretty iffy French intonations. This singer is just so expressive and so mesmerizing in her singing of the emotionally loaded French song cycles (all quite over-recorded by all the prominent artists already, especially for the Berlioz 'Summer Nights' Cycle), that imperfect French diction is really an insignificant flaw. There is a detached quality to this recital. As if she is lost in her own thoughts, not quite aware of the presence of an audience (or the recording microphone, in this case). Listening... Read review

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Advantages: Bellini's music. Gruberova, Kasarova, Bernardini
Disadvantages: Morosow

...the absolutely impecable Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova in the title role of Beatrice. She is well supported by the cast of the reliable (if not vocally beautiful) Igor Morosow as 'Filippo', Don Bernardini is a gorgeous voiced 'Orombello', and there is the superstar mezzo to be Vesselina Kasarova displaying impressive technique, bright upper register and dramatic commitment as 'Agnese'. Gruberova not only makes the very difficult and high tessitura (average pitch) music of Beatrice sounds easy, she also shows herself a superb voice actress. The only thing that might be called a flaw is her habit of portamenting into high notes (hitting just below the intended note and sliding up into it). Though if you can chalk that up as artistic preference, she is technically superb in every way. This singer can laugh, cry, or even mock convincingly with her... Read review

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