No need to be in love with French opera to fall swoon before the impressive recital of Marina Rebeka, a soprano from Riga, whose talent never ceases to amaze us. A ductile voice with a timbre both pure and azure, a flawlessly accurate interpretation (the French is perfectly intelligible, which in itself is a feat): Marina Rebeka portrays each role with sovereign attention to words and fluctuations in meaning. Pas besoin d’être amoureux de l’opéra français pour tomber en pâmoison devant l’impressionnant récital de Marina Rebeka, soprano originaire de Riga, dont le talent n’a de cesse de nous subjuguer. Une voix ductile au timbre à la fois pur et azuré, une justesse d’interprétation sans faille (le français est parfaitement intelligible, ce qui constitue en soi un exploit) : Marina Rebeka campe chaque rôle avec une attention souveraine aux mots et aux fluctuations du sens.

Le Monde France

It is the addition of various factors that leads to success: an effortlessly mastered technique, an authenticity of expression and a variety of colours. Rebeka doesn’t sing these arias, she lives through them. Es ist die Gleichartigkeit verschiedener Faktoren, die hier zum Erfolg führt: eine mühelos beherrschte Technik, eine Authentizität des Ausdrucks und die Vielfalt an Farben. Rebeka singt diese Arien nicht, sie durchlebt sie.

Oper! Magazin, Germany “Recording of the Month” Distinction

Few singers tackle Bizet’s mezzoish Carmen and the high coloratura pyrotechnics of Leïla in his early opera The Pearl Fishers, but the Latvian singer is nothing if not versatile. She brings a formidable dramatic attack, reminiscent of Callas or Régine Crespin, to Massenet’s Salomé and Chimène (in Le Cid), and sensual lyricism to his Thaïs.

The Sunday Times United Kingdom

A wonderfully silky and clean sound recording flatters a voice of irresistible charm, as well as a very “fin de siècle” interpretation, but without anything languid or evanescent. And then, what a high pitched piano on “Ah ! je suis heureuse”, one of the most miraculous of the discography! Une prise de son merveilleusement soyeuse et nette flatte une voix au charme irrésistible, ainsi qu’une interprétation très «fin de siècle», mais sans rien d’alangui, ni d’évanescent. Et puis, quel si aigu piano sur « Ah ! je suis heureuse », l’un des plus miraculeux de la discographie !

Opéra Magazine, France “Diamond” Album Distinction

Everything is played out here according to her ability to nuance, phrase and colour each intonation of the text, rich in connotations linked to the dramatic and psychological situation of each sequence. Let us acknowledge the frank authority with which the diva knows how to embody, knowing also how to channel her formidable instrument. Tout se joue ici selon sa faculté à nuancer, à phraser et à colorer chaque intonation du texte, riche en connotations liées à la situation dramatique et psychologique de chaque séquence. Reconnaissons l’autorité franche avec laquelle la diva sait incarner, sachant aussi canaliser son formidable instrument.

Classique News, France “Le Clic” Distinction

Behind the pronunciation of the word, you can feel the will to characterize it. The mastery of the effects here makes wonder, from the first track, the air of Louise, “Since the day” with its gradual management of the breath and its tapered notes like sugar. Derrière la prononciation du mot, on sent la volonté de caractérisation. La maîtrise des effets fait ici merveille, dès la première piste, l’air de Louise, « Depuis le jour » avec sa gestion graduelle du souffle et ses notes effilées comme du sucre.

Forum Opera, France “Recording of the Month” Distinction

A radiant, secure and warm high register, a strong, full depth: not many sopranos have such a rich voice with such rare luminosity as Marina Rebeka. The radiant voice and the wide range of colours are beautiful, with that degree of truthfulness that makes her performances generally so phenomenal. Eine strahlende, sichere und warme Höhe, eine satte, volle Tiefe: nicht viele Sopranistinnen haben eine derart reiche Stimme mit so seltener Leuchtkraft des Timbres wie Marina Rebeka. Die strahlend-leidenschaftlich Stimme und die breite Palette der Farben sind wunderschön, mit jenem Grad an Wahrhaftigkeit, die ihre Darstellungen generell so phänomenal werden lässt.

Pizzicato Luxembourg

Rebeka honors the particular in each work, even without a doubt with a seal that unifies the whole album, based on an elegance that is her seal of quality. Rebeka honra lo particular en cada obra, aún sin dudas con un sello que unifica a todo el álbum, en base a una elegancia que es su sello de calidad.

Club de Ópera Spain

The performance is breathtaking: the heady timbre, the equality of the registers, bend with ease to an extended tessitura passing with unprecedented ease, in the true sense of the word. La prestation est époustouflante : le timbre capiteux, l’égalité des registres, se plient avec facilité à une tessiture étendue passant avec une facilité inouïe, au véritable sens du terme.

Res Musica France

…close your eyes and listen to Marina Rebeka’s gorgeous voice, and you might just find yourself transported away from the confines of your home for an hour of scintillating French music.

Paris Update France

As it emerges also in the album, Rebeka is in possession of an enveloping and focused vocal instrument (as well as voluminous, according to the listening in the theater), with a creamy timbre, and emitted with overall softness. Come emerge anche nell’album, la Rebeka è in possesso di uno strumento vocale avvolgente e tornito (oltre che voluminoso, stando all’ascolto in teatro), dal timbro cremoso ed emesso complessivamente con morbidezza.

Connessi all’Opera Italy

A very natural voice, with consolidated bass and at the same time with an exquisite, nuanced line, crowned by pa owerful treble and filati and medium voices of great quality Una voz muy natural, con graves consolidados y a la vez con una línea exquisita, matizada, coronada por agudos potentes o filados y medias voces de gran calidad

Ópera Actual Spain

After the two pieces from “Romeo et Juliette”, “Je veux vivre dans ce rêve” and “Dieu! quel frisson”, the listener at home only wants to break out in applause. Nach den beiden Stücken aus „Romeo et Juliette“, „Je veux vivre dans ce rêve“ und „Dieu! quel frisson“ möchte der Zuhörer an der heimischen Anlage nur noch in Applaus ausbrechen.

Online Merker Austria

She is an absolute soprano because of her perfect output, her technical skills, the extension of her voice, and her ability to adapt to different roles – from those requiring lyrical coloratura to those initially written for a mezzosoprano. È un soprano assoluto per la sua emissione perfetta, le sue abilità tecniche, l’estensione della sua voce, le sue capacità di adattarsi a ruoli diversi – da quelli che richiedono la coloratura lirica a quelli inizialmente scritti per un mezzo soprano.

Il sussidiario Italy

The album conquers from the first aria, Depuis le jour, from Louise of Charpentier, with superb technique and vocal dedication, and makes the listener actually fall in love in Gounod’s Je veux vivre , with a warm and generous timbre! Depuis le jour, din Louise de Charpentier, cu tehnică superbă și dăruire vocală, pentru a-l face pe ascultător să se îndrăgostească efectiv în Je veux vivre de Gounod, de timbrul cald și generos!

Suplimentul de Cultura Romania

A highly recommendable album to continue enjoying the voice and art of the Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka who, once again, shows us why she is one of the great sopranos of the world today. A jewel of a record. Un disco altamente recomendable para seguir disfrutando de la voz y el arte de la soprano letona Marina Rebeka que, una vez más, nos demuestra por qué es una de las grandes sopranos de la actualidad a nivel mundial. Una joya de disco.

Pro Ópera Mexico

From the very first notes of Louise’s music, the charm operates thanks to the soft and warm voice of the artist. The accuracy of the interpretation marries the articulation of the text with disconcerting ease. How pleasant and happy it is to understand each word where each syllable seems to be the fruit of a thorough analysis. Dès les premières notes de Louise, le charme opère grâce à la voix douce et chaleureuse de l’artiste. La justesse de l’interprétation épouse avec une facilité déconcertante l’articulation du texte. Qu’il est agréable et heureux de comprendre chaque mot où chaque syllabe semble être le fruit d’une analyse approfondie.

Crescendo Magazine Belgium