Magdalena Kozena is a Czech mezzo-soprano who was born in 1973. Her repertoire is based on baroques and classical music. She also sings Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. As far as I know she performs no 19th century roles. Active mostly in Europe she made her Met debut in 2003 as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. She has thus far appeared 29 times at the New York Theater. In addition to Mozart’s three Da Ponte operas she has sung in Idomeneo, Leos Janacek’s Kata Kabanová, as well as the most recent run of Pelléas at the Met.
She says she’s most comfortable in 18th century music and perusal of her recordings supports he view. Below is her interpretation of “Handel’s Where Shall I Fly?” from Hercules. The work is a musical drama rather than an oratorio though it is rarely staged. Kozena’s singing shows great vocal agility and beauty of tone. She does sharp her first high note, however, and tends to scoop a few notes. But on balance a very good reading of a very difficult piece. Where Shall I Fly
Her rendition of “Agitata infido flatu” from Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans is just about perfect. Agitata infido flatu
Here is a video of Kozena singing Mahler’s song “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” under the direction of Claudio Abbado. A very moving performance.
The singer has a two disc compilation of previously recorded material available under the title of Enchantment. The 34 cuts give an excellent overview of her art. The mezzo’s artisitic path is distinct from almost all of her coevals.
