RECORD REVIEWS

OPERATIC ARIAS. Alessandra Marc, soprano; New Zealand Symphony, conducted by Heinz Wallberg. Delos DE 3108. Marc is one of the current crop of big-voiced, big-proportioned American singers on the scene. The instrument is striking, particularly at the top, where she can let out a torrent of sound, but the quality, as well as the size, decreases as she moves down the scale. Versatility is all to the good, but the soprano gives the impression of not knowing where her forte really is. On this disc her repertory ranges from Verdi to verismo to French Romanticism to Wagner. And it all sounds the same. There is not much evidence that she feels any differently about Aida, Leonora, Tosca, Louise or Elisabeth. She also does not hesitate to jettison a word and substitute a vocalise ( maledizione in “Pace, pace”) for a big climax. Her most impressive work is in “In questa reggia.” Equivocal support from Wallberg.