There are two types of mezzo soprano voices: foggy, broad and thick; or dark, silvery, and fine. Magdalena Kožená possesses the latter. For this reason, her voice – proven versatile over many recordings – is a good fit for the sublime music of Monteverdi (1567–1643). Kožená’s steely but vulnerable tone lends itself well to the more sorrowful moments of her latest CD, such as the aria ‘Addio, Roma!’ from L’incoronazione di Poppea. The duet ‘Pur ti miro’, also from Poppea, is a highlight. Anna Prohaska’s creamy soprano blends well with Kožená, and the two intertwining voices give an eerie and breathless impression of the soon-to-be-married Nerone and Poppea.

Prohaska joins Kožená in the opening ‘Zefiro torna, e di soave accenti’, taken from Monteverdi’s Scherzi Musicale (‘musical jokes’). It is a truly lovely pairing, accompanied by the jubilant-sounding La Cetra under Andrea Marcon. Although a mezzo-soprano, Kožená possesses strong and brilliant top register, something she shows off to great effect in ‘Quel sguardo sdegnosetto’, also from Scherzi Musicale. Here, Kožená dares her lover to wound her with his glances, but declares that his laughter will be a healing balm. I predict that this will be a favourite recording of 2016.

Alexandra Mathew