Anna Yuryevna Netrebko (Russian: Анна Юрьевна Нетребко, born 18 September 1971) is a Russian operatic soprano. She now holds dual Russian and Austrian citizenship and currently resides in Vienna, Austria, and in New York City.
Netrebko was born in Krasnodar (Russia), in a family of Kuban Cossack Background. While a student at the Saint Petersburg conservatoire, Netrebko worked as a janitor at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre. Later, she auditioned for the Mariinsky Theatre, where conductor Valery Gergiev recognized her from her prior work in the theatre. He subsequently became her vocal Mentor (by wikipedia)
“Sempre libera,” Anna Netrebko’s second album with Deutsche Grammophon, was released in August 2004. The album features arias from La traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani, La Sonnambula, and Otello and was recorded with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Anna Netrebko’s second CD is even more impressive than her first. She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she’s working at it and presents here a very satisfying—even thrilling—program. She doesn’t quite have the stature or insights for Verdi’s Violetta yet, but aside from some smudged coloratura in low-lying passages she sings the first act scene quite well (capped with a well-placed, big E-flat). She’s close to ideal in the Sonnambula and Puritani excerpts, where her girlishness is entirely right, her coloratura dazzling, and her ability to sound tearful really impressive. The Lucia Mad Scene (also notable here for its use of the glass harmonica for which it was composed in place of the usual flute) is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be. And although she’s not vocally suited to Desdemona’s Willow Song and Ave Maria, she does manage to darken her voice to fit the character and presents a very moving portrait. The CD ends with an utterly charming “O mio babbino caro.” Artistry and everything else aside, her voice is just beautiful. Claudio Abbado’s leadership is ideal. (Robert Levine)
Personnel:
Anna Netrebko (soprano)
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Andrea Concetti (bass)
Sara Mingardo (mezzo-soprano)
Saimir Pirgu (tenor)
Nicola Ulivieri (baritone)
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado:
bassoon:
Chiara Santi – Karoline Schick
cello:
Konstantin Pfiz – Natalie Caron – Philipp von Steinaecker – Raphael Bell – Stefano Guarino
clarinet:
Alexander Eissele – Romain Guyot
english horn:
Emma Schied
bass:
Anita Mazzantini – Frank Dolmann – Paolo Borsarelli
flute:
Chiara Tonelli – Stefania Morselli – Ulrich Biersack
glass harmonica:
Sascha Reckert
harp
Julie Palloc
horn:
Fritz Pahlmann – Gianfranco Dini – Markus Bruggaier -Thomas Schulze
oboe:
Mizuho Yoshii
percussion:
Gianluca Saveri – Mihaly Kaszas
timpani:
Robert Kendell
trombone;
Ricardo Casero – Robb Tooley – Wolfgang Tischhart
trumpet:
Bernhard Ostertag – Christopher Dicken
tuba:
Michael Cunningham
Viola:
Béatrice Muthelet – Catharina Meyer – Delphine Tissot – Stefano Marcocchi – Susanne Lerche – Verena Wehling
violin:
Antonello Manacorda – Cindy Albracht – Geoffroy Schied – Henja Semmler, – sabelle Briner – Markus Däunert – May Kunstovny – Meesun Hong – Naoko Ogihara – Serguei Galaktionov – Akemi Uchida – Daniel Möller – Heather Cottrell – Jana Ludvíčková – Katarzyna Zawalska – Mette Tjaerby – Naomi Peters – Riikka Sundqvist
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Coro Sinfonico Di Milano conducted by Romano Gandolfi
Tracklist:
Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata
01. No. 3 Scena Ed Aria: “È Strano! È Strano! – Ah, Fors’è Lui – Follie! Delirio Vano È Questo! 4.55
02. Sempre Libera 3.39
Vincenzo Bellini: La Sonnambula
03. No. 12 Scena Ed Aria Finale: Ah! Se Una Volta Sola Rivederlo Potessi 5.38
04. Ah! Non Credea Mirarti 4.47
05. Ah! Non Giunge Uman Pensiero 2.41
Vincenzo Bellini: I Puritani
06. No. 7 Scena Ed Aria: “O Rendetemi La Speme – Qui La Voce Sua Soave 4.36
07. Ah! Tu Sorridi E Asciughi Il Pianto! 4.02
08 “Vien, Diletto, È In Ciel La Luna! 2.57
Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
09. No. 14 Scena Ed Aria: “O Giusto Cielo! – Il Dolce Suono 3.18
10. Ohimè! … Sorge Il Tremendo Fantasma 3.15
11. Ardon Gli Incensi 5.01
12. Spargi d’Amaro Pianto 3.37
Giuseppe Verdi: Otello
13 Era Più Calmo? – Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella 5.00
14 Piangea Cantando Nell’Erma Landa 7.04
15 Ave Maria 5.17
Giacomo Puccini: Gianni Schicchi
16. O Mio Babbino Caro 2.51
ManyFantasticColors 