Isabel Leonard opened the Washington National Opera’s Cinderella production last weekend, and critics agree that D.C. area opera fans need to make it out to tonight’s performance, where not only can you hear Isabel Leonard in the title role, you’ll be able to meet her and get an autographed copy of her new Preludios CD! For more information on the post-concert signing, visit the Kennedy Center website.
“[Isabel Leonard] deserves all of her accolades. She is a nuanced actor who can walk the line between a sweetness that is almost too good to be true and amusement at all of the ridiculousness. Plus her voice is heaven. Rossini delights in the bel canto tradition of vocal acrobatics with runs of impossibly fast arpeggios and scales and soaring notes for every character. Leonard excels at this in her arias “Non piu mesta” and the penultimate “Una volta c’era un re 2.” —Jessica Vaughan, DC Metro Theater Arts
Isabel Leonard: Preludios
“…magnetic charisma and a remarkable depth of tone” – David Allen, Bachtrack
Such glowing praise is entirely typical of the critical response to soprano Isabel Leonard’s work, whether in opera or the concert stage. Her luxuriant vocal tone, riveting stage presence and remarkable artistic versatility make her one of today’s most in-demand sopranos. In this – her first release on Delos – she explores the riches of Spanish song, in all its varied Iberian forms and styles that can be traced back as far as its millennium-old Moorish influences. The generous program encompasses pure folksongs, folk-influenced art songs, dances and popular theater songs by quite a few of Spain’s finest composers of the late-19th and 20th-centuries: Mompou, Falla, García Lorca, Sanjuán, Granados and Montsalvatge.
Leonard – herself a Spanish speaker and passionate devotee of Iberian musical art – is partnered here by Brian Zeger: one of America’s most supremely sensitive and accomplished piano collaborators. Together, with this intriguing album, they promise their fortunate listeners an unforgettable tour through one of the most beautiful, beguiling and diverse of all the world’s vocal traditions.
Liner Notes
Buy from Delos Buy from Amazon Stream on Spotify! Buy on ArkivMusic
You must be logged in to post a comment.