Just heard Elena Mosuc for the first time, and I am impressed mightily.
The point of meeting was a Hungarian recording of the Romanian coloratura,
with a French title on the German Arte Nova label in this big global
village of ours.

"Au Jardin de Mon Coeur" was published in 1999 and I am amazed that she
didn't become better known here in the two years following this release,
especially as she appears to have had a pretty good career in Europe,
going all the way back to 1990.  The friend who gave me the CD spoke of
"Gruberova class" and I took that saltily, but...

With a hint of occasionally excessive vibrato as the only cautionary sign,
the sky should be the limit for Mosuc - a big, bright, clean voice that's
warm and mightily projected, a sense of emotional and musical involvement
that's all too rare - why is she not singing in this country...  or is she?

The higher the notes, the most comfortable she seems to be.  From the
adequate/skillful "Depuis le jour," the impression gets deeper as she goes
into the stratosphere of "Grossmachtige Prinzessin," with Lucia, Gilda,
Lakme in-between, added to showstoppers from "Semiramide," "Puritani" and
a landmark "Martern aller Arten."

Janos Gereben/SF
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