PICTURES OF AMERICA – NATALIE DESSAY

Soprano Natalie Dessay published on 2017 her first Sony CD.  Inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, soprano dives herself in the American Songbook, with a series of songs arranged by distinguished jazz musicians.  

The paintings that inspired each song aren’t included in the commercial packaging, so that nothing eclipses the recording itself, which really stands out.  

After a three-year forced pause caused by a vocal surgery back in 2002, Dessay had to adapt her repertoire by doing chansons and musicals. The chanson album “Entre elle et lui” with Michel Legrand from 2013 is now followed by the album “Pictures of America” devoted to the American songbook.  

She says herself in the booklet notes that she worked to “develop a new voice – a deeper and more intimate sound that would whisper into the listener’s ear. It was a voice I had to learn to control, like a small, secretive wild animal.”  

In spite of the changes in her voice, she managed to keep the essence of her brilliant, focused core of sound. Dessay adopts a delicate and subtle sound with a deeper agile voice full of wonder and nuances. The arrangements of these familiar songs are artistic and surprising, including imaginary instrumental interludes that take full advantage of the string textures.  

Her new album demonstrates solemnly that her operatic voice may well be transformed into a musical, and she succeeds satisfactorily in such transformation, without even suspecting which powerful voice is behind this singer.  Being a vastly experienced opera singer, she masters the voice control techniques being able to generate the most refined moods and sound colors to match the atmosphere matching of every respective song. 

Dessay quality of singing is very noticeable. Her English diction on Disc One is admirably clear and comprehensible. The voice, now lower in tone, sounds clean and precise, however sometimes it lacks a bit of strength and energy at the most demanding moments. 

Isolation and sadness rule the general mood of the album, Pictures of America inspired by the Pictures of the American painter Edward Hopper.  However, there is also room for joy and cheerfulness in this excellent recording by Sony where, thanks to the high-resolution technique, not a single detail is lost from the masterly interpretation of the songs by Natalie Dessay. 

With this CD the virtuoso soprano has proven that nothing can stop an innate talent when it comes together with willpower together with hard work and practice. Highly recommended.