"When she appears," according to the Online Merker, "it seems that a great hurricane comes over the stage; her voice is magnificent." This force of nature is none other than star soprano Aida Garifullina, who lights up the stage in this sublime recital from the 2023 edition of the Rencontres Musicales d'Évian. Joined at the stunning Grange au Lac by accomplished pianist Maciej Pikulski—who also performs solo piano works by Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, and Rachmaninov—Aida offers up an irresistible selection of arias and songs across national and linguistic borders, starting with the Spanish showstopper "Me llaman la primorosa" and continuing through France ("Depuis le jour" from Charpentier's Louise), Czechia (the soul-stirring "Song to the Moon" from Dvořák's Rusalka), and Russia (Rimsky-Korsakov's poignant "Song of India") before finishing back in Italy with the immortal "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini's Tosca, one of the most revered dramatic arias for a soprano of Aida's calibre.

Photo © Decca / Simon Fowler