Fenena. Nabucco. Verdi

From her first entrance, Ms. Rafało grasped every musical

and histrionic opportunity given to Fenena, allying her firm,

plush tones to acting of girlish subtlety. In the trio with Abigaille

and Ismaele in Act One, ‘Io t'amava! il regno, il cuore,’ she sang

splendidly, phrasing ‘Ah! già t'invoco, già ti sento’ with excellent

comprehension of Verdi’s style. Her account of the cantabile

Preghiera in Act Four, ‘Oh dischiuso è il firmamento,’ was superb,

crowned with a well-placed top A in the cadenza.