The Twenty Most Beautiful Mezzo Arias
In opera, the mezzo-soprano (literally "half soprano") is rarely the bride, more often the bridesmaid – or just the maid. If sopranos tend to be angelic objects of idealized love, Mezzos are more often earthier. They are dignified, feisty and strong willed, not to mention aware of their charms, as is certainly the case with Carmen, the most famous mezzo character of all. Some of them take destiny into their own hands, but many also suffer at the hands of others: Dido, for example, the heartbroken Queen of Carthage abandoned by Aeneas. This playlist presents Dido as composed by both Purcell and Berlioz, as well as a series of other memorable characters from operas both well-known and rarely heard. We also feature oratorio with the inclusion of "Erbarme dich" from Bach's 'St Matthew Passion', one of most beautiful and moving arias of all.
- Purcell • Dido and Aeneas Z 626: 'Thy Hand, Belinda' (Dido, Act III) • Thy hand, Belinda – When I am laid in Earth (Dido's Lament)Dido and Aeneas Z 626: 'Thy Hand, Belinda' (Dido, Act III)
Thy hand, Belinda – When I am laid in Earth (Dido's Lament)Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (Mezzo-soprano), Nicholas McGegan (Harpsichord)℗ 1994 - Saint-Saëns • Samson et Dalila op. 47 R 288: 'Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix' (Dalila, Act II) • Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voixSamson et Dalila op. 47 R 288: 'Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix' (Dalila, Act II)
Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voixOlga Borodina (Mezzo-soprano), Carlo Rizzi
Orchestra of Welsh National Opera℗ 1997 - Berlioz • La damnation de Faust op. 24 H 111: 'D'amour l'ardente flamme' (Marguérite, Part 4) • D'amour l'ardente flammeLa damnation de Faust op. 24 H 111: 'D'amour l'ardente flamme' (Marguérite, Part 4)
D'amour l'ardente flammeSusan Graham (Soprano), Elizabeth Fyfe (Cor Anglais), John Nelson
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden℗ 1997 - Bach • Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion) BWV 244 • Part II • No. 39 Aria 'Erbarme dich, mein Gott' (Alto)Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion) BWV 244
Part II • No. 39 Aria 'Erbarme dich, mein Gott' (Alto)Werner Güra (Tenor), Johannes Weisser (Bass), Sunhae Im (Soprano), Christina Roterberg (Soprano), Bernarda Fink (Mezzo-soprano), Marie-Claude Chappuis (Mezzo-soprano), Topi Lehtipuu (Tenor), Fabio Trümpy (Tenor), Konstantin Wolff (Bass-baritone), Arttu Kataja (Bass), Johannes Schendel (Bass), Andrew Redmond (Baritone), Katharina Hohlfeld (Soprano), Ulrike Bartsch (Alto), Anja Petersen (Soprano), Jakob Huppmann (Countertenor), Christian Mücke (Tenor), Ingolf Horenburg Seidel (Baritone), René Jacobs
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, RIAS Kammerchor, Staats- und Domchor Berlin2012, Berlin, Teldex Studio Berlin GmbH - Massenet • Werther: 'Va! Laisse couler mes larmes' (Charlotte, Act III) • Va! Laisse couler mes larmesWerther: 'Va! Laisse couler mes larmes' (Charlotte, Act III)
Va! Laisse couler mes larmesBrigitte Fassbaender (Mezzo-soprano), Hans Graf
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart1983, Stuttgart, Funkstudio Berg des SDR - Handel • Rinaldo HWV 7: 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (Almirena, Act II) • Lascia ch'io piangaRinaldo HWV 7: 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (Almirena, Act II)
Lascia ch'io piangaJoyce DiDonato (Mezzo-soprano), Maxim Emelyanychev
Il Pomo d'OroMarch 2016, Toblach, Gustav Mahler Hall, Kulturzentrum - Gounod • Sapho (Paris 1851): 'Où suis-je?' (Sapho, Act III) • Où suis-je? – O ma lyre immortelleSapho (Paris 1851): 'Où suis-je?' (Sapho, Act III)
Où suis-je? – O ma lyre immortelleRégine Crespin (Soprano), Jesús Etcheverry
Orchestre Symphonique1961 - Mozart • Le nozze di Figaro KV 492: 'Voi, che sapete' (Cherubino, Act II) • Voi, che sapeteLe nozze di Figaro KV 492: 'Voi, che sapete' (Cherubino, Act II)
Voi, che sapeteMarianne Crebassa (Mezzo-soprano), Marc Minkowski
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg℗ 2016 - Bellini • I Capuleti e i Montecchi: 'Lieto del dolce incarco' (Romeo, Act I) • Lieto del dolce incarco – Ascolta! Se Romeo t'uccise un figlio – La tremenda ultrice spadaI Capuleti e i Montecchi: 'Lieto del dolce incarco' (Romeo, Act I)
Lieto del dolce incarco – Ascolta! Se Romeo t'uccise un figlio – La tremenda ultrice spadaBrigitte Fassbaender (Mezzo-soprano), Hans Graf
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart1983, Stuttgart, Funkstudio Berg des SDR - Donizetti • Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart): 'Io vi rivedo alfin' (Mary Stuart, Anna, Familiars, Act III) • Io vi rivedo alfin – Deh! Tu di un'umile preghiera il suonoMaria Stuarda (Mary Stuart): 'Io vi rivedo alfin' (Mary Stuart, Anna, Familiars, Act III)
Io vi rivedo alfin – Deh! Tu di un'umile preghiera il suonoJoyce DiDonato (Mezzo-soprano), Riccardo Minasi
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon℗ 2014 - Bizet • Carmen WD 31: 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' (Carmen, Act I) (Habanera) • L'amour est un oiseau rebelleCarmen WD 31: 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' (Carmen, Act I) (Habanera)
L'amour est un oiseau rebelleTeresa Berganza (Mezzo-soprano), Claudio Abbado
London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian SingersSeptember 1977, London, St John's, Smith Square - Mozart • La clemenza di Tito KV 621: 'Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio' (Sesto, Act I) • Parto, parto, ma tu ben mioLa clemenza di Tito KV 621: 'Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio' (Sesto, Act I)
Parto, parto, ma tu ben mioAnne Sofie von Otter (Mezzo-soprano), Sir John Eliot Gardiner
English Baroque Soloists℗ 1991 - Rimsky-Korsakov • Tsarskaia Nevesta (The Tsar's Bride): 'Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimaya' (Lyubasha, Act I) (Lyubasha's Aria) • Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimayaTsarskaia Nevesta (The Tsar's Bride): 'Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimaya' (Lyubasha, Act I) (Lyubasha's Aria)
Snaryzhai skorei, matushka rodimayaAnita Rachvelishvili (Mezzo-soprano), Giacomo Sagripanti
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI℗ 2018 - Thomas • Mignon: 'Connais-tu le pays?' (Mignon, Act I) • Connais-tu le pays?Mignon: 'Connais-tu le pays?' (Mignon, Act I)
Connais-tu le pays?Magdalena Kožená (Mezzo-soprano), Marc Minkowski
Mahler Chamber Orchestra℗ 2003 - Prokofiev • Alexander Nevsky, Cantata op. 78 (1938-1939) • 6. Mertvoe pole (The Field of the Dead) 'Ia poidu po poliu belomu' (Mezzo-Soprano, Chorus)Alexander Nevsky, Cantata op. 78 (1938-1939)
6. Mertvoe pole (The Field of the Dead) 'Ia poidu po poliu belomu' (Mezzo-Soprano, Chorus)Elena Obraztsova (Mezzo-soprano), Claudio Abbado
London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus℗ 1980 - Massenet • Cendrillon: 'Allez, laissez-moi seul' (Le Prince charmant, Act II) • Allez, laissez-moi seul – Cœur sans amour, printemps sans roses!Cendrillon: 'Allez, laissez-moi seul' (Le Prince charmant, Act II)
Allez, laissez-moi seul – Cœur sans amour, printemps sans roses!Marianne Crebassa (Mezzo-soprano), Marc Minkowski
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg℗ 2016 - Wagner • Götterdämmerung WWV 86D: 'Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage' (Waltraute, Act I) • Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage – Seit er von dir geschiedenGötterdämmerung WWV 86D: 'Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage' (Waltraute, Act I)
Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage – Seit er von dir geschiedenBrigitte Fassbaender (Mezzo-soprano), Hans Graf
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart1983, Stuttgart, Funkstudio Berg des SDR - Berlioz • Les Troyens H 133 • Act V • No. 47. Scene 2. Monologue 'Ah! Ah! Je vais mourir!' (Dido)Les Troyens H 133
Act V • No. 47. Scene 2. Monologue 'Ah! Ah! Je vais mourir!' (Dido)Joyce DiDonato (Mezzo-soprano), Michael Spyres (Tenor), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Mezzo-soprano), Stéphane Degout (Baritone), Marianne Crebassa (Mezzo-soprano), Hanna Hipp (Mezzo-soprano), Nicolas Courjal (Bass), Philippe Sly (Bass), Cyrille Dubois (Tenor), Stanislas De Barbeyrac (Tenor), Agnieszka Slawinska (Soprano), Bertrand Grunenwald (Bass), Jean Teitgen (Bass), Jérôme Varnier (Bass), Frédéric Caton (Bass), Richard Rittelmann (Bass), John NelsonLive
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Choeur Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Choeur de l'Opéra national du Rhin℗ 2017 - Berlioz • Les Troyens H 133 • Act V • No. 48. Scene 2. Aria 'Adieu, fière cité' (Dido)Les Troyens H 133
Act V • No. 48. Scene 2. Aria 'Adieu, fière cité' (Dido)Joyce DiDonato (Mezzo-soprano), Michael Spyres (Tenor), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Mezzo-soprano), Stéphane Degout (Baritone), Marianne Crebassa (Mezzo-soprano), Hanna Hipp (Mezzo-soprano), Nicolas Courjal (Bass), Philippe Sly (Bass), Cyrille Dubois (Tenor), Stanislas De Barbeyrac (Tenor), Agnieszka Slawinska (Soprano), Bertrand Grunenwald (Bass), Jean Teitgen (Bass), Jérôme Varnier (Bass), Frédéric Caton (Bass), Richard Rittelmann (Bass), John NelsonLive
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Badischer Staatsopernchor, Choeur Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Choeur de l'Opéra national du Rhin℗ 2017