Elina Garanca - Revive (2016) [Hi-Res]

Elina Garanca at the most dramatic edge of Bel Canto moving into the big Diva repertoire: „Revive“ is the summit of Elina's career to date. The Latvian mezzo-soprano, a world-class performer at the peak of her form, explores the emotional storms and destiny's force, raging in the lives of opera's strong women. She channels her experience and insights into a collection of arias drawn from the great Romantic repertoire, complete with captivating rarities and genuine showstoppers.

„Revive“ casts light on powerful women to reveal their vulnerabilities and weaknesses; it's a celebration of female strength, honour, sacrifice, dangerous passion – and obsession.

'All these women are, I think, about exploring an inner world, about people finding themselves in a weak moment, for whatever reason – unhappy love, betrayal, losing power, saying goodbye to loved ones. In my everyday life, I'm everything: I can be jealous, I can be angry, I can be funny, I can be sad. Life is like a big colourful book. So the women on this album belong to a big colourful book.' (Elina)

The album includes music from Verdi's Don Carlo, Leoncavallo's La Bohème, Massenet's Hérodiade, Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, and Saint-Saëns's Henri VIII, as well as celebrated set-pieces from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila, Massenet's Werther, Berlioz's Les Troyens, and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, among others.

This is repertoire playing to the incredible technique and flexibility of Elina's voice, showcasing the crystal clarity and purity of earlier recordings, with her mind-blowing musicianship and very personal interpretations that distinguish her as a world class artist, also hinting at the more dramatic roles:

'I started with Baroque, Mozart and bel canto repertoire, with a little bit more dramatic stuff, too. I have never done Verdi on the stage or really done verismo opera, so there's something new for me. Now, I feel it is really time to explore further, so the repertoire that is coming now is a new Elina with new, exciting challenges. I'm very happy that I can embrace it. It feels right at this moment to move on and reach other mountains!' (Elina)

Elina Garanca, mezzo-soprano
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Roberto Abbado, Dirigent