Rossini: Colbran, the Muse

Following her first, dazzling recital for Virgin Classics, Furore -- Arias by Handel, Joyce DiDonato turns to the composer whose heroines first brought her to international stardom: Gioacchino Rossini. "Is Joyce DiDonato the world's best Rossini singer?", asked the New York magazine Opera News after the American mezzo sang the finale of La Cenerentola at Carnegie Hall in January 2009. "That title certainly seemed hers by sovereign right," it continued; "Her phrasing was silky, her timbre rich and glowing, and her ornaments were impeccably stylish and utterly beguiling. Most impressive was DiDonato's combination of immaculate technical control with an air of wild, unstoppable joy. This was truly a moment to treasure from an artist who is at the very top of her game." "To make a recording of Rossini arias is a true dream for me," says Joyce DiDonato. "His works have been hugely responsible for giving me the opportunity to break into this crazy opera world, and they have given me such incredible joy on the stage. I wanted to take this wonderful opportunity to show the wide, surprising range of his compositions. He was incredibly inspired by his wife, Isabella Colbran, the reigning, supreme diva of her day. To explore some of the nine roles he wrote for her, will afford wonderful insight into how a composer is inspired by a particular muse and hear how Isabella ignited incredibly creative forces in him. She was widely hailed in her relatively short career for her incredible range -- not only vocal, but dramatic, too -- and that will be evident here as we explore the heartbreaking pathos of Desdemona, the hopeful triumph of Semiramide, and the unleashed power of Armida."