Venera Gimadieva was the Queen of Navarre, a somewhat silly character who tries to bring peace between the two religious sects. It is a classic coloratura soprano role, and Gimadieva dazzled with the agility of her voice and her ease on the high notes. The phosphorescent quality of her top register, which flutters in a myriad of colours, was perfectly suited to the character’s flirty nature.

Die Produktion glänzt mit einem tadellosen Sängerensemble. Venera Gimadieva besticht durch eine höhensichere, in dramatischem Ausdruck starke Marguerite de Valois, die den Inbegriff des weiblichen Rollenverständnisses in diesem katholisch-Arkadien vertritt.

In dieser vierten Aufführung von „La Sonnambula“ an der Deutschen Oper Berlin gibt sich Venera Gimadieva zunächst als liebreizend Schüchterne, jedoch mit einer Stimme, die im Verlauf von Bellinis Belcanto-Oper alle Gefühlsschwankungen und Erlebnisse dieser jungen Frau in allen Schattierungen schildern kann. Was sie freut, was sie begeistert, wovor sie sich ängstigt, wie sehr sie liebt und ihre Unschuld beteuert und wie intensiv sie als Verachtete leidet – alles lässt sich aus diesem ebenso lyrischen wie koloraturfähigen Sopran heraushören.

From our standpoint today, it is unusual for us to think that the title roles of La sonnambula and Norma, both composed by Bellini in 1831, were also performed by the same singer, the legendary soprano sfogato Giuditta Pasta. Nowadays, we tend to think of both these roles totally different in character. In Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production, the role of Amina was sung by Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva, with her dark coloratura and down-to-earth, robust gestures, apt for Bellini’s country girl.

In der Rolle der Amina begeistert die Russin Venera Gimadieva, die schon im Haus an der Bismarckstraße vor drei Jahren in der Rolle der Giulietta in Bellinis Oper „I Capuleti e i Montecchi“ (konzertante Aufführung) einen großen Erfolg hatte. Anfangs klingt sie ein wenig nervös und unsicher, aber es dauert nicht lange, bis sie an das große Zeitalter des Belcantos erinnert. Ihre Stimme hat einen hellen, zarten Klang, der über alle Register herrlich klingt. Die Technik ist auch ganz hervorragend und für die schwierigsten Rollen in diesem Fach bereit.

In haar eerste recital op cd wijdt ze zich aan 9 aria’s, 2 duetten en een trio uit het specifieke Italiaanse bel canto repertoire. Ze doet dat met een werkelijk opvallend mooie, niet echt Slavische stem, veel passie, een grote theaterpresentie en volkomen zuiver zingend tot in waanzinscènes toe. Hier wordt een veelzijdig beeld van haar kunnen gegeven en ze wordt zeer attent en stuwend begeleid door het Hallé orkest onder de Italiaanse dirigent Gianluca Marcianò.

Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva, making her Washington debut, was a stunning Violetta.  With her tall slender figure and big expressive eyes, she captured attention by her subtle gestures, a turn of her head, and body postures, reacting to others’ words and actions. Her soprano was clear and penetrating without excessive vibrato. She never forced her voice, nor resorted to flashy displays of coloratura. Gimadieva can sing long lyrical lines with continuous breath, quiet composure and absolute stillness, and her high notes opened with radiant beauty and floated into air above the orchestra with seemingly no effort, always hitting the note in the center without sliding up. Her Italian diction was exemplary, and her death scene was most memorable as her dying wish for Alfredo’s happiness came through with poignancy. There was not a dry eye in the house.

With a voice that’s all crystal clear, ringing resonance, yet absolutely weightless, she danced through the fioratura of “Sempre libera” without breaking a sweat, and finishing with a perfect high E-flat, then sang with a breathtakingly tender sotto voce in her scene with Germont at “Dite alla giovine,” before opening up later in the act with the broad, sweeping “Amami Alfredo!” while never over-singing. In the final act she offered a gloriously floated high A at the end of simply and beautifully sung “Addio del passato.”

Violetta is such a compelling character thanks in large part to an ever-watchable Venera Gimadieva. With every note, she commands the stage no matter what other actions are taking place.

Searing high notes, velvety legato, and virginal pianissimo all served the drama of the character, a cynical manipulator of men who is surprised to find love. The Russian soprano’s vocal power and subtle acting provided the gamut of expression from her wide-ranging Act I scena “È strano” to the contained, tragic strains of “Addio del passato” in Act IV, a more heart-breaking moment in this performance than the character’s death.