‘The Art of the Prima Donna’ - Opera Arias

Dame Joan Sutherland sop Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Francesco Molinari-Pradelli

Decca Legends 467 115–2DL2 Buy now

(109' · ADD · T/t) 

Recorded 1960. 

‘The Art of the Prima Donna’, hardly out of the catalogue since 1960, is now remastered for Classic Sound. There can’t be many admirers who haven’t already got this, so for newcomers to Sutherland on disc one can only say – listen and wonder. Her voice, even throughout its range right up to the high‑E, always keeping its natural quality, is heard at its early fullness. Perhaps the best tracks of all are ‘The soldier tir’d’ from Artaxerxes and ‘Let the bright seraphim’ from Samson, but every track is beautiful. ‘Casta Diva’ – her earliest attempt at it – is her most limpid recording of this prayer, ‘Bel raggio’ from Semiramide has sparkling decorations, quite different from the ones she sang on the complete recording six years later, and the whole thing ends with the Jewel Song from Faust. It was a big voice and sounded at its best in larger theatres. It’s difficult to imagine anyone, coming to it for the first time, being disappointed.