VERDI and PUCCINI ARIAS. Mirella Freni, soprano;...

VERDI and PUCCINI ARIAS. Mirella Freni, soprano; Philharmonia Orchestra conducted Giuseppe Sinopoli conducting. Deutsche Grammophon 427 614-2 (compact disc). The 55-year-old Freni’s voice is in excellent, if not amazing, shape in this latest release. The spinto and dramatic repertory which she has assumed these past years has not damaged the sound, except for some moments of unsteadiness in high fortissimo passages in such an aria as “Ritorna vincitor,” which is too heavy for her. Otherwise, she paints individual and affecting portraits of each character with colors and attention to detail which are increasingly rare today. The best are the “Ballo,” “Don Carlo” and “Manon Lescaut” arias. “Mi chiamano Mimi” sounds not much different than it did thirty years ago. Especially impressive is her breath control, which certainly is needed given the broad, expansive tempi of Sinopoli, who seems to mistake Puccini for Mahler and Verdi for Bruckner. Typical DG sumptuous sound.