Awards 2009: Opera Recital

"Verismo"
Renée Fleming; Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi/Marco Armiliato
Decca

John Steane in Gramophone remarks, "There are still those who shrink from operas of the verismo school as they might from a huddle of knife-carrying hoodies... a pity for here is a recital which might prove acceptable even to the most resolute of the anti-verismo brigade. It is all heart, but not worn too shamelessly on the sleeve". "Renée Fleming's creamy vocals are stunning and in quite beautiful condition", according to Michael Cookson on MusicWeb, while Michael Cameron in Fanfare says "At age 50, one might expect her to be a shade past her prime, but there is no evidence of that on this disc... Fleming sings these treasures as well as anyone active today, and her melding of power, range, flawless legato, and her soulful mastery of the verismo style make this disc a must for opera and vocal fans".

Runners-up:
"Amoureuses". Patricia Petibon; Concerto Köln/Daniel Harding [DG]
Martinu: Fragments and Suite from "Juliette". Magdalena Kozená; Steve Davislim; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Mackerras [Supraphon]
"Sehnsucht". Jonas Kaufmann; Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Claudio Abbado [Decca]
"Tragédiennes ". Véronique Gens; Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset [Virgin]