Bellini: Dopo l'oscuro nembo (from Adelson e Salvini)

“her nuanced phrasing is a wonder to behold...this album clearly underlines her star qualities and points towards majestic things to come.” Classic FM Magazine, October 2011 ****

“Machaidze begins with Manon's farewell to her table, to which she brings sensitivity...[in Salut a France] Machaidze expands her tone in exultation, tossing off the roulades with vocal bravura and crowning the cabaletta with a secure and ringing final note. This is one of the best tracks in the programme, as is 'O luce di quest' anima'” International Record Review, October 2011

“Hers is one of the bigger voices on the bel canto circuit. Her theatrical intelligence is also promising: though her language articulation isn't great, she vividly projects the emotional content. Most obviously, the middle section of "Ah! Je veux vivre" from Romeo et Juliette takes on unusual gravity, revealing a character who defies family and mortality for love.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011

“Machaidze tears into roles with an energy that leaves the listener breathless. She produces a top note that would kill at half a mile to silence the chorus in the closing pages of 'Ah! Non giunge' from La Sonnambula. While Machaidze's tone occasionally may be uneven...you have to admire her finely honed technique. This is a voice that has been scrupulously prepared and the hard work shows” BBC Music Magazine, December 2011 ***

“her nuanced phrasing is a wonder to behold...this album clearly underlines her star qualities and points towards majestic things to come.” Classic FM Magazine, October 2011 ****

“Machaidze begins with Manon's farewell to her table, to which she brings sensitivity...[in Salut a France] Machaidze expands her tone in exultation, tossing off the roulades with vocal bravura and crowning the cabaletta with a secure and ringing final note. This is one of the best tracks in the programme, as is 'O luce di quest' anima” International Record Review, October 2011

“Unjustly denied first prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2001, the glamorous Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca has gone on to prove the judges wrong by carving a front-ranking international career. This well-programmed recital of less familiar material from operas by Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini shows off her superb technique, with its fluent coloratura and beautiful upper register. The melancholy Romanza from Bellini's early Adelson e Salvini and the lilting "Di tanti palpiti" from Rossini's Tancredi both show her at her impressive best.” The Telegraph, 12th February 2009

“How Rossini would have fallen for the Latvian Elina Garanca! Her voice, with its creamy mezzo middle and purposeful drop into the chest register suggests a perfect Rosina; part passionate young woman but mostly knowing minx. …no recent artist, including the magnificent Marilyn Horne, has recorded a more affecting rendition of Tancredi's recitative and cavatina, 'O patria... Di tanti paliti': every word articulated, every musical phrase properly shaped and a seemingly effortless legato. This is a deeply satisfying CD from a great artist in the making.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2009 *****

“A refreshingly unhackneyed selection of bel canto arises from a star mezzo. The gentle songs from Adelson e Salvini and Dom Sébastien make a nice contrast with the fireworks of "Di tanti palpiti" from Tancredi. Roberto Abbado and the Bologna orchestra provide the always sympathetic accompaniment... What of that long bel canto line? It is never allowed to overwhelm the dramatic situation of each scene but Garanca seems to find no difficulty in any of this music.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2009