Rachel

http://www.renaud-bray.com

http://www.renaud-bray.com

*** Résumé en anglais seulement ***Debut album showcases American soprano's exceptional voice and endearing personality. This album showcases the scope of her talent – juxtaposing big, meaty Verdi scenes (La Traviata, Otello, Vespers, Il Trovatore) with sparkling versions of much loved opera hits, such as Mimi’s Aria from Puccini’s La Bohème, Dvorak’s Song to the Moon, the charming Vilja-Song from Lehar and two showcase arias from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Jonas Kaufmann appears on big La Bohème duet – “O Soave fanciulla” – his first guest appearance of this nature. The new album sees this immensely gifted singer, who possesses an impressive vocal and dramatic range, explore a wide swathe of repertoire to showcase her versatility, vocal depth, and artistry. An intimate portrait of the artist at this stage in her career, each piece included on the album was carefully selected by Ms. Willis-Sørensen as she presents a collection of her favourite arias and scenes that she hopes will move the listener as they have moved her. Her dramatic expressivity and vocal virtuosity are both on display in full force, in arias ranging from the album’s centrepiece Verdi scenes, with weighty roles such as Desdemona in Otello, Leonora in Il Trovatore and Violetta in La Traviata, to ‘Vilja-Lied’ from Lehár’s operetta The Merry Widow and ‘Song to the Moon’ from Dvorák’s Rusalka.