Press

“She led a truly colorful life. Today, she would be a highly sought-after personality in the tabloids and just as popular on social media: George Sand, writer, critic, journalist, intellectual, networker. Lover of Alfred de Musset, Frédéric Chopin, and others. Sonya Yoncheva has now dedicated an entire album to this fascinating character, since George Sand has “always captivated her”, with her “nuanced temperament” and “personality of great breadth.” The album opens with pianist Olga Zado though, performing a Chopin arrangement of Bellini’s “Casta diva”. In a following “Echo,” Yoncheva recites a letter from Alfred de Musset to George Sand, while Zado once again plays “Casta diva” on the piano.

Right from the start, the album demonstrates how closely words and music are intertwined here and how much importance is given to the text overall, also when Yoncheva sings. The first vocal piece is “Nuit de décembre” by Ruggero Leoncavallo. She skillfully controls the volume of her voice, soars into the high notes with a slight edge, yet largely remains faithful to a lyrical expression.

Here, it is being demonstrated how she strives to bring in line Yoncheva the opera singer and the art song singer inside of her, especially as Leoncavallo’s piece gains significant dramatic intensity as it progresses. The journey continues with the Spanish flair of Léo Delibes’ “Les filles de Cadix”, where the “con moto” character of the work is particularly well brought out. Yoncheva delivers the embellishments with ease, which are most effective when she sings softly and when she subtly colors the vowels. After a Chopin nocturne followed by another “Echo,” the recording features works by Jacques Offenbach, several pieces by Pauline Viardot, who was a close friend of George Sand, as well as compositions by Francesco Paolo Tosti and Franz Liszt. Violinist Adam Taubitz and mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti also join in on some tracks.

It is a concept album in the truest sense of the word. (…) Overall, it is a varied recording with a deeply personal statement from its protagonist, Sonya Yoncheva.”
Christoph Vratz, Oper! Das Magazin

“George Sand is like the epitome of Parisian intellectualism: a writer, feminist, socialite, and revolutionary whose ideals resonate with compassion and societal optimism that made her an aspirational figure to the progressively oriented middle-class. Her legacy is manifold, and her alliance with spearhead musicians, including Chopin and Pauline Viardot, has greatly influenced her esteem among like-minded posterity.
Sonya Yoncheva, for instance, pays homage with her new album. “George” – as the title reads – is published on Yoncheva’s very own label and Naive, and in a slightly eclectic twist, sets out to resurrect the Romanticist mindscape of French literature’s grande dame. The goal: to “awaken people to the arts as if you were taking care of a small child” (attributed, in the booklet, to Sand).
This didacticism noticeably departs from the operatic program of previous recitals. (…)
On the flipside, the presence of Liszt is fully motivated. His “Liebestraum” echoes the Romantic tints of Chopin, distilled by the sensitive touch of Ukrainian pianist Olga Zado. Yoncheva gives her the opening track, and Zado floats the lyricism of “Casta diva” most delicately. Her affinity with the repertory stands out, and while she is just as subtle an accompanist, it is surprising perhaps that “George” stays clear of Berlioz and the sophistication of his shamefully overlooked Lieder. They certainly would have fit the album’s scope.
(…)
Pauline Viardot’s compositions fall into a different category. “Madrid” echoes the Spanish flavor of the “Habanera,” while “Faible coeur” has a hybrid theatricality, recognizant of both the speech-like delivery of recitatives and the buildup of melody as in an aria. Yoncheva is very good at either, though the grand vocal gesture of finely sustained mezza voces – or, a darkly hued coloratura – fits her profile closest. (…)
“George” closes with Viardot’s “Les bohémiennes,” one of only two duets in which the soprano is joined by Marina Viotti. The blend of their respective timbre is formidable, as they find endless color variation in their flourishes. They also capitalize on rhythmic syncopations and the subtleties of harmonic shifts, making “Les bohémiennes” the undeniable pièce de résistance among the songs present. In itself, it conveys more nuance than the prose to which Yoncheva dedicates three tracks. (…)”
Bob Dieschburg, Operawire

“The first piece Yoncheva sings is Leoncavallo’s “Nuit de décembre” on a text by Alfred de Musset sung with good attention to dynamics and musically reminiscent of a few bars of Nedda’s ballad from Pagliacci. Delibes’ “Les Filles de Cadiz” is well delivered in its colors, accents, and trills. The ballad “Voyez Dans La Nuit Brune” from Offenbach’s Fantasio on a text by Alfred de Musset has charm and character. “Madrid” by Pauline Viardot is a vividly colored bolero where Yoncheva’s voice is enriched with sensual nuances. “Ninon” by Tosti, again on a text by Alfred de Musset, is delivered with musical sensitivity. “Faible Coeur!”, Pauline Viardot’s rearrangement of Chopin’s Mazurka No. 8 is sorrowful in character and enriched by a cadenza and descending chromaticism. For two duets, Yoncheva is joined by mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, who dedicated a tribute album to Pauline Viardot in 2022 with Christophe Rousset. The two singers perform “Pars, et nous oublie…Reste, ô mon amie” (an arrangement as a chamber lyric of Chopin’s Mazurka in G minor Op. 24) and then close the recording with “Les Bohémiennes” (Viardot’s arrangement for two voices conceived as a sort of medley of Brahms’s Hungarian Dances). Yoncheva’s beautiful timbre matches Viotti’s velvet, and especially in the second piece – progressively more virtuosic and fast-paced, the two performers remind us that this salon music not only evoked atmospheres of high poetic and literary content but also served as entertainment to the surprise and delight of all present.
Music tracks are alternated with Yoncheva’s reading in French, with piano accompaniment, of letters from Alfred Musset to George Sand or from George Sand to Chopin and Marie Dorval. Olga Zado accompanies the piano with a wonderful musical taste and a smooth touch on the keyboard. Opening the recording with Chopin’s transcription of “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma, Zado wonderfully reminds us how much Chopin admired bel canto and especially Bellini’s ligne du chant. I also prized violinist Adam Taubitz who plays beautifully a short Romanza in A Major by Pauline Viardot. In conclusion, this is an interesting and highly personal project that disorients, somewhat like some of the singer’s choices of repertoire and discography in recent years, but still unshackles Yoncheva from more generic recordings that are less original in concept. … the recording succeeds overall in evoking a character and an era characterized by a close relationship between literature and music.”
Pietro Dall’Oglio, Connessi all’Opera

“Among the contents of this publication are many interesting things; particularly touching is the letter written to her by Alfred De Musset, a poet with whom she lived for about two years an overwhelming passion, physical, sentimental, stormy but also intellectual since they were united by a common talent for writing, here recited beautifully and with great emotional impact by Yoncheva.
(…)
Refined performances by Sonya Yoncheva, who displays her usual beautiful timbre by phrasing and reciting the French texts beautifully, varying colors and dynamics according to the word’s meaning.
(…)
All in all, a CD that possesses the uncommon gift of creating an atmosphere, allows itself to be listened to with pleasure and certainly stimulates the exploration of the extraordinary figure of George Sand.”
Danilo Boaretto, OperaClick

“The material on a Naïve CD focused primarily on soprano Sonya Yoncheva is also well-presented, and here the vocal elements are in the forefront from start to finish. But the disc is a curious one, highly personal in concept, design and execution, and less of a presentation of music than it is a tribute to famed 19th-century author George Sand (1804-1876) through music and words and the personal lens and viewpoint of Yoncheva and her collaborators. (…) The performances on this (+++) CD are all fine, and Yoncheva’s collaborators are clearly committed to the whole endeavor, which comes across as more of an emotionally driven, musically illustrated academic exercise than a traditional recital or concert. The musical examples are not exactly irrelevant, but their importance is strictly that of a superstructure for the foundational tribute to Sand that is this disc’s reason for being. The concept is interesting, the execution skillful, yet it is only listeners who already feel a strong connection with and admiration for Sand who are likely to find the recording congenial. They are the members of an “in crowd” at whose center Yoncheva places herself; anyone outside this group of cognoscenti is unlikely to find the material here of more than passing interest.”
InfoDad

“George is a new CD from soprano Sonya Yoncheva and friends made up of music George Sand would have listened to and some readings for her works. There’s a particular emphasis on Pauline Viardot; close friend of Sand and sister of Maria Malibran.

The music includes Chopin piano pieces played by Olga Zado, who also accompanies the songs. His Casta diva, based on the Bellini aria, is particularly interesting. There are songs by Leoncavallo, Delibes, Offenbach, Tosti and Liszt as well as piano music and songs by Viardot. On two of the songs Yoncheva is accompanied by mezzo Marina Viotti and Zado is joined by violinist Adam Taubitz for a Viardot Romance.

The singing is all very high class. Yoncheva is very at home in this music and she blends well with Viotti. The instrumental playing is very good too. On top of that Yoncheva is a very expressive reader. It’s a varied, interesting and enjoyable disk.

The album was recorded in March 2024 at the Salle de Musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and is very clear and detailed, at least on the 192kHz/24bit digital version I listened to.”
Operaramblings

“Undoubtedly, Sonya Yoncheva is one of the current benchmarks for the role of Floria Tosca. The Bulgarian soprano possesses powerful vocal means, her vocal color is beautiful, her lyricism is deep and her register is even throughout. Totally credible and magnetic on stage, she knows how to give each moment the right tone both in the acting and with her perfect singing line, without resorting to tricks or shouts, as is very common in this role.”
Gustavo Gabriel Otero, Pro Ópera / L’ape musicale

“Sonya Yoncheva is also visually a Tosca straight out of a storybook. Her multifaceted soprano flows effortlessly, without strain or breaks, and is deeply moving, especially in her signature aria, Vissi d’arte, in Act II, where she sings of her life. This becomes one of the most genuine moments of the entire performance. She portrays the role with remarkable nuances: passionate and imperious as the jealous diva, yet also pleading and desperate as a woman in distress, and ultimately, a merciless murderess.”
Dr. Helmut Christian Mayer, Opera-Online

“At his side, Sonya Yoncheva leaves an outstanding impression. Finally, a Tosca you don’t want to run away from. (…) with Yoncheva, the voice flows effortlessly, without strain, without force. Added to that is the dramatic coloring in the middle register, which dominates throughout.”
With this Tosca, one would gladly pray to God every day.”
Jürgen Pathy, Klassik Begeistert

“The Bulgarian-born Sonya Yoncheva brings a true lirico-spinto soprano to the title role, demonstrating in the famous second-act prayer, Vissi d’arte, what a marvelous singer she is. With a finely lyrical yet brilliantly luminous soprano, she creates an exceptionally well-shaped, powerful portrayal of the role, enriched with pleading nuances, expressive phrasing, and dramatic outbursts. At the same time, the grand gestures of the jealous diva are never neglected.”
Thomas Rauchenwald, Simply Classic

“On Sunday, the Tosca cast with Sonya Yoncheva, Piotr Beczała, and Ambrogio Maestri promised a feast of vocal excellence. And that promise was fulfilled.
Tosca’s impatient ‘Mario’ calls already flared up fiercely from the wings of the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle; Yoncheva’s soprano then unfolded as lush, rounded, and softly cushioned. Her Tosca was reminiscent of an oligarch’s wife at a luxury resort. Vissi d’arte was confidently performed…”
Stefan Ender, Der Standard

“Sonya Yoncheva’s full, radiant soprano is especially impressive in Vissi d’arte.”
Dr. Karl-Heinz Roschitz, Kronen-Zeitung

“Unlike many other performers of the role, who struggle to carve out an individual interpretation from the part’s iconic status, Sonya Yoncheva gave the title character a strong presence. In this Tosca, ‘prima donna airs’ and ‘private womanhood’ merged into a pathetically overstated, perhaps even slightly arrogant personality. This Tosca knew no doubts about her self-worth.
Yoncheva’s Tosca tried to negotiate with Scarpia ‘at eye level’; her ‘Il prezzo!’ made it unmistakably clear what she thought of him. Sinking on her knees after Vissi d’arte was the highest degree of humiliation she was willing to grant Scarpia. And when she then took a sip of wine to ‘compose herself,’ her gaze fell almost casually on the knife. She moved the chair, leaned against the small table, almost as if she wanted to lure Scarpia toward her, and as he approached, full of desire, her Tosca suddenly seemed to abandon all premeditated plan, stabbing repeatedly in a ‘hysterical frenzy.’
Yoncheva knew how to control her soprano well and use its resources effectively. She scaled back her voice or let it shine more powerfully as needed… .”
Dominik Troger, Oper in Wien

[Photo: Michael Poehn / Wiener Staatsoper]