Dorothea Roschmann, Akademie fur Alte Music Berlin - Handel: Deutsche Arien (2000)

If you're wondering who is this Dorothea Röschmann and why is she doing a solo recording, treat yourself to a 1994 Dorian disc (curiously unmentioned among her discographic highlights listed in these liner notes) that features the Pergolesi Stabat Mater and Vivaldi's remarkable motet "In furore guistissimae irae". Her performance with the orchestra Les Violons du Roy and conductor Bernard Labadie is a stunning statement from the very youthful soprano that a major artist has arrived on the scene. So, six years and a number of recordings later (including Bach secular cantatas for Dorian, a Messiah for Archiv, and Bach, Telemann, and Scarlatti for Harmonia Mundi), she shows sure and steady progress vocally--her voice now is slightly darker and weightier, but every bit as agile--and musically demonstrates a maturity that belies her 32 years. Her career has followed a direct and relatively unhindered path to some of the world's most prominent opera stages and concert halls, and, given the assured interpretive skill and commanding vocalism on this recording, she's destined for a very busy life. This is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and intelligently-used soprano voices in the world, an unusually versatile instrument made for opera, oratorio, or recital singing. (Go straight to track 10, "Flammende Rose, Zierde der Erden", and you'll see what I mean.) Röschmann is a major artist in the best sense of the word, and once again she has chosen repertoire that perfectly agrees with her voice and her feel for the music. Her performing partners, who also entertain us with two delightful Telemann quartets, are first rate, especially violinist Bernhard Forck and lutenist Björn Colell. The sound is flawless. Need I say more?--except to strongly urge you not to miss one of the year's outstanding recordings. -- David Vernier