Opgenomen in 2015.

Onder begeleiding van Elda Laro zingt ze werken van:

Verdi, Bellini (Casta Diva), Puccini.

DIMITRA THEODOSSIOU
IN CONCERTO
Italian, English
.:
69’59”
Giuseppe Verdi
La Forza del Destino: “Pace, pace mio Dio”
Otello: “Canzone del Salice, Ave Maria”
Un ballo in maschera: “Morrò, ma prima in grazia”
Macbeth: “La luce langue”
Vincenzo De Meglio:
Piano transcription of “Casta diva” from Bellini’s Norma
Pietro Mascagni
L’Amico Fritz: “Son pochi fiori”
Cavalleria rusticana: “Voi lo sapete, o mamma”
Giacomo Puccini
Salve regina
La Bohème: “Donde lieta uscì”
Madama Butterfly: “Un bel dì vedremo”
Tosca: “Vissi d’arte”
T. T. : 69’59”
Elda Laro, piano
Recorded live on Septmebr 12, 2015
at the Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi
by the Museo del Violino of Cremona

Greek, a soprano, with a great vocal gift and equally great personality. At first glance, this might seem the description of the greatest singerof the 20th century, but it is, in fact, that of an artist of our own day who, not incidentally, is often compared to Maria Callas. Unlike otherCallas epigoni who are only a poor imitation of that great soprano, Dimitra Theodossiou makes her own very personal artistic contributionwhich, although with some aspects similar to those of Callas – especially in terms of her unusual choice of repertory – is unusual and uniqueon the current opera scene.Already in the early 1990s, her spectacular victories in prestigious competitions revealed that she was a singer to watch, someone peopletalked about right from the very start. Confirmation of this potential would soon arrive with a debut that proved fundamental to her career inAttila at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna in 1999. Odabella’s two formidable arias not only revealed an amazing voice, capable climbing todizzying heights at full volume, as well as yielding to the most melodious nuances, but above all the personality of a fiery, authentic primadonna. In fact, it was from that moment that she began to be seen as the ideal performer for early Verdi, those demanding and insidious rolesover the span of just a few years, Theodossiou would virtually monopolize with debuts in I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata, Stiffelio, Ernani,I Masnadieri, I Due Foscari and La Battaglia di Legnano, and even the heavier roles in Nabucco and Macbeth, thus embarking on an accelerating course of Verdi objectives that even included the repertory roles of Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Don Carlo, Luisa Miller, La Forza delDestino, Il Ballo in Maschera, Aida and Otello. A full-fledged Verdi soprano, it could be said, if it were not for the fact that, at the same time,she was also engaged into a completely different genre – that of the bel canto repertory.Fortunately there were some opera houses that realized this and they began to offer Theodossiou early 19th-century roles that would highlightthese exceptional qualities. And, certainly, they did not regret this choice because, in choosing roles in-line with the singer’s fiery temperament,they were praised for having resurrected the category of “coloratura dramatic soprano” which in the wake of Callas had necessarilytaken a turn towards “lyric coloratura”, for wont of an alternative. And so making their appearance were Donizetti’s extraordinary AnnaBolena and Elisabetta from Roberto Devereux, followed by Maria Stuarda and Lucrezia Borgia, but also some rare Bellini digressions suchas Bianca e Fernando and Beatrice di Tenda. In more recent years, Theodossiou has also turned towards another type of repertory, that of theGiovane Scuola or Verismo composers with which she had already had some sporadic contact in the past, for example Mefistofele (both theroles of Margherita and Elena), Mascagni’s Amico Fritz and Puccini with Bohème, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot (Liù), and includingCavalleria Rusticana and Tosca by the same two composers. It is with them plus, of course, Verdi, that we find her in this recital given inCremona on September 12, 2015 at The Violin Museum. We hear her in a number of Verdi’s great roles, where she ranges from the sweetsong of Desdemona to the diabolic phrases of Lady Macbeth.Above all, we perceive another fundamental aspect of this artist: her generosity, her communicativeness and sunny disposition that hasmade Theodossiou one of the singers most beloved by opera audiences who intuit her charm and emotional drive on a gut level. Extremelyrare qualities, these, and perhaps even more important than more strictly vocal ones in being able to call a prima donna truly popular.