Eva Urbanova "Italian Opera Arias" .(Sound Recording Review)

Arias by Bellini, Cilea, Puccini, Catalani, Mascagni, Verdi. Prague National Theatre Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Lenard. No texts or translations. Supraphon SU3763-2 631 (Qualiton, dist.)

Eva Urbanova is such a conscientious artist, so bent on communicating dramatically through her singing, that one wishes there were more positive things to say about this disc, taken from a live concert in Prague in May 2003. In a role such as Kostelnicka in Jenufa, in which she is highly acclaimed, or Wagner's Ortrud, which she sang at the Met, the force of Urbanova's energetic temperament combines with a steely instrument to create a powerful impression. If top notes turn a bit shrill, it matters not at all in the face of the total performance.

In the Italian repertoire, from which all the material on this disc is drawn, ingredients such as legato, firmness and plushness of tone become tools essential to creating the drama itself; blemishes in the line or high notes gone astray take a serious toll. Urbanova has put a great deal of effort into making these selections work for her, with sensitivity to text and phrase, and perhaps to the very choice of some of the repertoire as well. But her ultimate success in this repertory, at least in the context of this recording, is iffy.

The disc opens with "Casta diva" from Norma, without its recitative or cabaletta. Always a tough start for an evening, whether in the context of the opera itself or a concert, this aria is not really a compatible choice for this singer. The attempt at an open "ah" vowel, with no trace of the guttural Slavic "L" in it, is laudable, but the result lacks space and roundness. Runs are a bit smudgy, and the repeated high As, building to B-flat, are squally.

"Io son l'umile ancella," Adriana Lecouveur's entrance aria, is sensitively sung, but it is loaded with glottal attacks and prey to intonation problems. "Poveri fiori" works ...