Colman Morrisseylooks at this week's opera CD

RENEE FLEMING: VERISMO

Core e Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. Conductor: Marco ArmiliatoDecca 478 1533

Having delighted with recitals of Bel Canto and Baroque, Renee Fleming turns her attentions to Verismo, not a genre one would automatically associate with her voice.This recital is an eclectic mix of arias from the period, and Fleming excels with lovely legato and sensitivity to the words. She also essays, less successfully, the climactic Sola, perduta abbandonatafrom Manon Lescaut. It is a real pleasure to hear some of the neglected arias by Mascagni and Leoncavallo sung with style and feeling. A special bonus is a lovely and underrated duet from La Rondine, with Jonas Kaufmann as a memorable Ruggiero. www.deccaclassics.com

Download tracks: Senza Mamma, Tu, che di gel sei cinta, Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso