Anna Caterina Antonacci’s enchanting recital entitled 'L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra' delves into a colourful landscape of French and Italian art song. She explores the rich tonal and emotional contrasts of works spanning almost three centuries, with deeply engaging interpretations throughout.
Antonacci is famed for her profound and vivid appearances both on the opera stage [most recently in Covent Garden's The Trojans] and recital platform, and this recording manages to capture her spellbinding, dramatic performance and her ability to give clear voice to the varied, ever-shifting psychological states portrayed through this emotional programme, recorded live on 5th December, 2011.
“Even without her magnetic stage presence, Antonacci presents a vivid 'face' in all she sings here...Antonacci's tone - fierily intense rather than especially rich - can sound a touch strained at climaxes. But she responds with quicksilver intelligence and empathy to the shifting emotional states of these yearning and/or disenchanted lovers...so gripping is Antonacci in everything she sings that it seems churlish to carp.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2012
“If one wants to be pernickety one could possibly say that Antonacci’s vibrato is sometimes over-generous and that she occasionally sounds slightly worn. Under some circumstances this could be quite serious criticism but with so expressive and life-enhancing a singer it hardly matters. This is a delightful programme, delightfully executed and with delightful accompaniments. I wish I had been there!” MusicWeb International, December 2012
“Antonacci and her scrupulous accmpanist Donald Sulzen, provide alert and imaginative accounts of all their material...Antonacci brings individuality to everything she sings, her colouristic range reinforcing her careful definition of text.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2013 ****
