Nino Machaidze, born 1983 in Tblisi, Georgia came to fame overnight as a late substitution for Anna Netrebko as Juliette in the 2008 Salzburg production of Romeo and Juliette partnering Rolando Villazon - also released on DVD. I was in Salzburg that summer, watchin the production in one of the plaza´s of the Old City, remembering all the fuss about her - her Angelina Jolie-like looks, her being somewhat overparted for the role, but generally doing well.
And after Salzburg has taken her to all the major houses, mainly in lyrical coloratura parts, especially Gilda and Juliette.
Admittedly it is difficult to be exposed like this, and as a young performer you have to be really careful. I cannot point my finger, as an outsider, to anything in particular that Nino Machaidze shouldn´t have done in the past three years, but listening to this, her first solo CD with Sony, is a major disappointment.
She is audibly strained in all the arias, with a wide unpleasant vibrato in both top and upper middle register. On top of that about half of her top notes are widely off-pitch. It takes away the attention from everything else and I have to admit it is really not pleasant to listen to this CD. And she is only 27. The publicity and her Angelina Jolie-good luks will sustain her career for a bit, I suppose. But in 5 years she will have a voice in ruins. Unless something radical happens.
Filles de Cadiz from Romantic Arias
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Overall impression (scale from 1-5, 3=average): 1-2
She's unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteJust heard her Thais broadcast from Barcelona.
ReplyDeleteShe is audibly strained in all the arias - tick
with a wide unpleasant vibrato in both top and upper middle register - tick
On top of that about half of her top notes are widely off-pitch - tick
it is really not pleasant to listen to - tick
A mystery how she got the gig.