BRAVA indeed! To my taste this is probably the best performance, both the singing and the orchestra and the combination thereof, since my absolute favourite Arleen Auger.
I'd say that she is really intelligent , really sober! I mean, she didn't squeeze around with high notes or messing up repeating the classic handelian jumps, instead, she let the music be and worked pretty much in the expression of the words and its nuance. In this performance we listen , purely, to Handel , nothing else ,but what he intended , and what he wrote. BRAVAAAAAA!
Very intense and committed performance by Kalna -- despite one or two brief pitch/timbre problems, she totally erases memories of Auger and Sutherland. Excellent support from conductor and orch.--the opening ritornello is ideal in pacing & affekt; I dont think I've ever heard it played better. Some of the best singing by ladies these days comes from Russia & former iron curtain countries.
