Funny, charming, and ultimately quite moving, this is a far more than acceptable if less than totally ravishing recording of Dvorák's fairy tale opera Rusalka. Best known for his hundreds of recordings of English choral and orchestral music, Richard Hickox proves a fine conductor of Bohemian opera, and his interpretation is direct, striking, and very affectionate. The soloists are equally fine. Cheryl Barker's soprano may be a tad too edgy in its upper reaches for the title role, but it is rich and lush below that and her ...
Read More
Funny, charming, and ultimately quite moving, this is a far more than acceptable if less than totally ravishing recording of Dvorák's fairy tale opera Rusalka. Best known for his hundreds of recordings of English choral and orchestral music, Richard Hickox proves a fine conductor of Bohemian opera, and his interpretation is direct, striking, and very affectionate. The soloists are equally fine. Cheryl Barker's soprano may be a tad too edgy in its upper reaches for the title role, but it is rich and lush below that and her control and commitment cannot be doubted. Rosario La Spina's tenor is surely a bit too orotund for the Prince, and his dramatic delivery only partially compensates for this. Bruce Martin's bass, however, is just right for the Water Sprite, and his performance captures every aspect of his character's conflicted nature. The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra delivers a fine performance with plenty of snap in the tempos and lots of personality in the wind playing. Michael Black's...
Read Less