| Sondra Radvanovsky, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Enrique Mazzola present Puccini: Heroines, a live recording of an all-Puccini program performed in February 2025. Radvanovsky’s extraordinary voice brings vivid individuality to each heroine, from the tender lyricism of Anna and Mimì to the dramatic intensity of Tosca and Turandot, including roles not previously in her stage repertoire. With Mazzola and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, she captures Puccini’s genius for combining concise, emotionally charged arias with profound character insight.From the grace of Le Villi to the passion of Manon Lescaut, the intimacy of La Bohème, and the virtuosic drama of Turandot, Radvanovsky’s artistry illuminates every phrase. Encores include Musetta (La Bohème) and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), highlighting both theatrical flair and heartfelt nuance. |
 (c) Robert Kusel |
| I’m very excited to share this particular musical journey with you—arias from a traversal of Giacomo Puccini’s operas, spanning from his first (Le Villi) to his last (Turandot) and including nearly all the masterpieces in between. Of course, Giuseppe Verdi remains a touchstone for opera audiences and singers alike — but has any composer contributed as many chestnuts to the repertoire as the man who gave us “O mio babbino caro,” “Un bel dì,” and “Nessun dorma” — all still beloved by the public throughout the world whether at royal gala performances, televised talent shows, and even sporting events? This program has personal meaning to me, as it traverses my own career as well; I made my stage debut as Mimi in La Bohème, while nearly 30 years later I sang Turandot for the first time. And I’m thrilled that yet another Puccini role will bring me back to Lyric in just a few years. How fortunate I am to have presented this concert for the first time with the formidable Lyric Opera Orchestra in my beloved Chicago — my native city, my current residence, and my artistic home. Sondra Radvanovsky |
| TRACK LIST |
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| Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Le Villi (1884)1 Prelude 2 Act I · Se come voi piccinaLa Bohème (1896)3 Act I · Sì. Mi chiamano MimìMadama Butterfly (1904)4 Intermezzo 5 Act II · Un bel dì vedremoTosca (1900)6 Act II · Vissi d’arteManon Lescaut (1893)7 Intermezzo 8 Act IV · Sola, perduta, abbandonataLa fanciulla del West (1910)9 Prelude 10 Act I · Laggiù nel SoledadSuor Angelica (1918)11 Senza mammaEdgar (1889)12 Prelude 13 Act III · Addio, mio dolce amor!La rondine (1917)14 Act I · Chi il bel sogno di DorettaTurandot (1926)15 Act II · In questa reggiaLa Bohème16 Act II · Quando me’n vo’ Gianni Schicchi (1918)17 Act I · O mio babbino caro |
 (c) Joe Mazza |
| Sondra Radvanovsky is a globally renowned soprano, celebrated as “one of the most profoundly moving opera artists on the planet” (Operawire). She is widely regarded as one of the finest living Verdi and Puccini sopranos, and is among the world’s preeminent interpreters of the bel canto repertoire. |
 (c) Robert Kusel |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the world’s great opera companies, renowned internationally for its artistic excellence. Lyric previously appeared on PENTATONE with Radvanovsky in The Three Queens (2022). |
 (c) Joe Mazza |
| Italian conductor Enrique Mazzola is Music Director at the Lyric Opera of Chicago — where he recently announced his extension to 2031. Mazzola conducted the 2019 PENTATONE release of Verdi and Donizetti with Michael Fabiano. |