Marina Rebeka SPIRITO

After Mozart and Rossini, the Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka here presents a selection of meaty bel canto scenes on her own label, Prima Classic. It’s a bold venture but one backed up by a formidable voice and plenty of artistry, not to mention musicological research: a charming picture in the booklet shows a white-gloved Rebeka, magnifying glass at hand, poring over the manuscript of Anna Bolena in a Milan archive.

She dives straight in at the bel canto deep end with a ‘Casta diva’ that’s firm and focused, and certainly not lacking in nobility. And immediately one notices the plumminess of the voice, placed – along with her Italian consonants – far back in the throat. This is a big, dark instrument, and one that, as I noted when reviewing her Rossini, seems to nudge into the lirico-spinto category. It’s sturdy and rich across the range and has a formidable top, but also a certain weight that needs to be steered around tight coloratura corners.

As before, Rebeka scores big points for the nobility and grandezza of her performances; she’s at her best when called on to convey determination and steely strength. Her scene from Maria Stuarda is terrific, then, the prayer building up impressively and movingly. She reacts well to the more stately dramaturgy of La vestale’s finale scene, too. And the artistry on display in the Anna Bolena excerpt is moving on its own terms.

It’s when it comes to really tugging the heartstrings that I find myself wishing for a little more variety; and Rebeka doesn’t always let the flesh-and-blood characters behind the impeccably turned notes shine through. A quick comparison with Montserrat Caballé’s account of the Pirata scene or Joyce DiDonato in the Maria Stuarda preghiera (on her ‘Stella di Napoli’ album) shows what a more flexible voice and interpretative approach can bring. (Hugo Shirley / Gramophone)