Barber: Vanessa [Multi-Ch/Stereo]
This new recording ofVanessareplaces even the excellent original 1958 set on RCA, let alone the not-bad, recent Naxos recording, as first choice. As fine and authentic as the RCA is (it's also of interest because it presents the opera's original version, without the 1964 revisions), here we get a recording so pristine and clear that almost every word can be understood--all the more important for an opera in which there are great subtleties in the characters' interactions. In addition, Susan Graham's performance of Erika here becomes the touchstone--conflicted, loving, angry--and tenor William Burden as Anatol is so smooth that it's easy to tell why both women fall for him. Christine Brewer's big-voiced Vanessa is splendid--listening to the ice in her voice melt away is just one fine aspect of her portrayal. Catherine Wyn-Rogers as the Old Baroness is properly imperious, and the rest of the cast is excellent. Leonard Slatkin leads the BBC forces with flexibility and a true understanding of the score's lyrical and tragic moments. Highly recommended.--Robert Levine