Joyce & Tony - Live at Wigmore Hall

In the starry echelons of the opera world, the American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato shines exceptionally bright. The mellow ease and flexibility with which she wields a voice of intense beauty is also what makes her so versatile. Few will ever forget her singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at the BBC Last Night of the Proms in 2013 or, equally, her virtuoso performances of Rossini operas at the world’s leading opera houses. This recital ranges widely, starting with Haydn’s powerful “Arianna a Naxos,” which calls on all of DiDonato’s considerable powers as a dramatic singer/actor. A series of Italian songs takes us to Broadway, too. With the conductor Sir Antonio “Tony” Pappano as her devoted and imaginative pianist, Joyce & Tony is a joy throughout, the sheer life force with which DiDonato injects her supple and versatile tone simply irresistible.