Giuseppe Verdi: Pace, pace, mio Dio! from ‘La forza del destino’ Ah, fors’e lui and Sempre libera from ‘La traviata’ Morro, ma prima in grazia from ‘Un ballo in maschera’ Caro nome from ‘Rigoletto’ Addio, del passato from ‘La traviata’
Giacomo Puccini: D’onde lieta usci from ‘La boheme' Vissi d’arte from ‘Tosca’ Senza mamma from ‘Suor Angelica’ Un bel di, vedremo from ‘Madama Butterfly’ Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio! from ‘Madama Butterfly’
Gaetano Donizetti: Piangete voi? and Al dolce guidami from ‘Anna Bolena’
Vincenzo Bellini: Casta Diva from ‘Norma’
The British soprano Linda Richardson has performed extensively across the UK and continental Europe under conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Edo de Waart, Sir Mark Elder, Daniele Rustioni, Libor Pešek, and Carlo Rizzi. Her extensive repertoire includes roles ranging from Monteverdi and Mozart to Janáček, Britten, and Wagner.
Linda Richardson writes: ‘I have had the privilege of performing many of the great leading soprano roles in the operatic repertoire, but as my career progressed, I found a special love and affinity for the roles that stood as pillars in Italian opera. The beautiful melodic lines, dramatic language, and the overall musical craftsmanship of these Italian composers make their characters especially thrilling. I chose these particular arias because they show the huge variety of heroines that can be found in the greatest Italian operas. Although most of the arias are expressions of love and loss it is the individual emotional journey of each character which I find so compelling.’ Recording: Church of S. Augustine, Kilburn, London; 2 – 7 September 2019