A sumptuous selection of operatic arias interpreted by Maija Kovalevska, who, with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, performs her favourite heroines from operas by Puccini, Mozart, Massenet, Gluck and Tchaikovsky.

From Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice Maija Kovalevska performs Euridice’s aria, ‘Che fiero momento!’ (‘What a proud moment!’), which anticipates the story’s climax. From Mozart’s Don Giovanni we hear Donna Elvira’s Act II aria ‘Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata’ (‘Cruel heart, you have betrayed me’), which reveals a woman at war with herself, furious at her lover’s betrayal but still longing for him against her own will.

There are two of Mimì’s arias from Puccini’s La bohème, alongside powerful music from Manon Lescaut, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot. From Act II of Massenet’s Thaïs there is the sensuous, passionate ‘Dis-moi que je suis belle’ (‘Tell me I’m beautiful’), known as the ‘mirror aria’; gazing at her reflection, Thaïs fears old age and longs for her beauty to remain.

The album concludes with two of Tchaikovsky’s greatest operatic moments: Iolanta’s Arioso and the pivotal ‘Letter Aria’ from Eugene Onegin. A gorgeous release, essential both for opera aficionados and for those seeking an introduction to the genre.