Handel – Sonya Yoncheva

   in Opera Now (May, 2017)
Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva is very much the diva de nos jours and has already triumphed as Norma, is about to sing her first Élisabeth (Don Carlos) and follow that with her debut as Tosca, and the voice is now quite voluminous. Her second solo disc is devoted to Handel, returning to her artistic origins and the Baroque repertoire that first garnered her attention. She brings her expected attributes to the arias – sensitive phrasing, even tone with a dash of spice to offset the smoothness. However, she sounds slightly reigned in, as though she would like to unleash more voice than the music could sustain or indeed demands. …