Album review: Nino Machaidze, Arias & Scenes (Sony Classical)

It's not hard to understand why Nino Machaidze has become something of an overnight sensation since her 2008 breakthrough in Roméo et Juliette at Salzburg. In this selection, the Georgian coloratura soprano combines phrasing of nuanced subtlety with top notes of stunning power, ranging from the lilting, seductive “Quando men vo” from La Bohème to the impassioned gusto of her dramatic Violetta in an extended scene from La Traviata climaxing with a joyous “Sempre libera”.

Another lengthy scene, the 14-minute sequence as Ophelia in Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet, offers a condensed showcase of Machaidze's abilities, taking in recitative, reflection, gay waltz and mournful ballad.

Download: Sempre libera; A vos jeux; O mio babbino caro