Vivica Genaux
Word just in that Vivica Genaux's new album of Vivaldi arias will be released in the U.S. on Dec. 8.

The Fairbanks-born mezzo is again paired with violinist Fabio Biondi and the Europa Galante ensemble, my favorite period instrument ensemble right now, with whom she has previously scored much international success.

A sample received here suggests that Genaux's voice is reaching a powerful maturity, and that these ferociously athletic pieces are the music she was born to sing - or that Vivaldi was put on this planet to write this stuff so that Genaux could sing it 300 years later.

Check the web link at www.vivica-genaux.de. to hear (and see, what I'm raving about. Track No. 4 from "Griselda" is a good introduction. There's also a video where she does some talking as well, all in French.

It's a little known fact that everyone in Fairbanks speaks French when the rest of us aren't listening in.