Is This The New Netrebko?
Rupert Christiansen says: ‘If the success of La Traviata hangs on the soprano singing the central role of Violetta, then Glyndebourne hits the jackpot with this revival of Verdi’s most popular opera. The young Russian Kristina Mkhitaryan, groomed by the Bolshoi, has a smooth olive-tinted Slavic timbre not dissimilar to that of her compatriot Anna Netrebko. Slender and beautiful in physique, she handles her voice with disciplined technique – no shrieking or wobbling – and a degree of musical imagination that bodes well for her future.’ No doubt non-Russians will never learn how to pronounce her last name. That’s okay: divas only need one — in this case, “La Kristina.”
