Asmik Grigorian

September 12, 2024 at PDT

Puccini: Love Affairs

Puccini’s skill at writing well-crafted arias and duets with strong dramatic content gave him (eventually) huge successes in his lifetime, and he is one of a small handful of composers whose music can routinely sell out opera houses today. Much of Puccini’s secret lies in melodies that go straight for the emotional jugular, even if the love stories on show are sometimes less than wholesome.

But Puccini’s operas tug at the heart strings like no others. And here, we get the full spectrum of love affairs, courtesy of tenor Jonas Kaufmann and a selection of leading sopranos including Asmik Grigorian, Pretty Yende, and Sonya Yoncheva. Our first romantic pairing features La bohème’s Rodolfo and Mimì, breathlessly in love, despite having met moments before. There’s “Tu, tu, amore? Tu?” from Manon Lescaut, bringing memories of a past relationship, as true love battles material desires. And there’s “O Luigi! Luigi!” from Il tabarro, foreshadowing a tragic love triangle between Giorgetta, Michele, and Luigi.

Equally emotive duets from Tosca, La fanciulla del West, and Madama Butterfly also feature, all adding up to a feast of dramatic fervor and vocal brilliance.

12 Tracks

February 8, 2024 at PST

Laws of Solitude. Strauss: Four Last Songs

Opulent and expressive, versatile and technically flawless, Asmik Grigorian’s voice was seemingly born to sing Richard Strauss’ soaring Four Last Songs. The German composer’s achingly beautiful orchestral songs, steeped in nostalgic wistfulness, were completed in 1948 in the twilight of his years. They’re among Strauss’ finest achievements and are generally regarded as a rite of passage for aspiring sopranos.

They’re tricky to pull off successfully, however—the solo voice has to move fluidly in and out of Strauss’ textures: one moment a soloist, the next a member of the orchestra. Grigorian’s is a majestic presence, but she never overplays her role—the result is a strident performance that allows Strauss’ filigree details to shine forth brightly as ever. Conductor Mikko Franck works wonders with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (as do the recording engineers).

Hearing these songs, then, arranged for piano and soprano was always going to be a little underwhelming, particularly when Strauss’ dynamic contrasts almost always go hand in hand with breathtaking switches in instrumentation. And in “Beim Schlafengehen” (“When Falling Asleep”), the sustained line of the violin solo is taken by an instrument whose notes fade as soon as they’re struck. But Grigorian and pianist Markus Hinterhäuser are a terrific pairing, and bring a haunting intimacy to these sublime miracles.

8 Tracks