The latest releases reviewed

ANNA NETREBKO: RUSSIAN ALBUM Anna Netrebko, soprano. Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre. Conductor: Valery Gergiev DG 00289 477 6384 *****

This young Russian soprano is flying high at the moment with a glamorous media profile and choice roles in the major opera houses. Here, she returns to her roots and takes on a compilation of arias from Russian opera, some well known (Tatiana's Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin) and others less well-known, such as Natasha's heartfelt outpouring in Prokofiev's War and Peace. She has a beautiful voice, particularly in the middle register, and, although she is sometimes stretched on the higher notes ,her excellent legato sees her through. As an artist she clearly has real affinity and feeling for these characters, and she brings them vividly to life by her sensitivity to the words. www.deutschegrammophon.com Colman Morrissey