Regula Mühlemann, Fairy Tales Review
by Thomas E. Davis
Vocalist Regula Mühlemann has curated a stirring collection of songs based on fairies, elves, nymphs, and sorceresses called Fairy Tales. The Sony Classical album features Mühlemann and the Swiss chamber orchestra CHAARTS Chamber Artists. The program flows between many eras, from Romantic to Baroque, but it is always enchanting.
Mühlemann’s soprano voice is powerful, warm, and expressive. She has precise dictation, and her interpretations bring out the beauty of the composer’s melodies. Die Rheinnixen: Komm zu uns und sing und tanze, “Barcarole” typifies the vocalist’s natural ability to color a melody. Her expression of the waltz rhythm moves the melody with a gentle sway that is enjoyable and lively.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 64: Be kind and courteous to this gentleman is Mühlemann effortlessly singing the technical melody, balancing the expression of emotion with the demands of navigating the vocal challenges. It is this balance that Mühlemann excels in and why she is so revered as a vocalist. The song demands the vocalist perform many leaps and legato sections and travel across the soprano range, yet Mühlemann answers the call with elegance, excellent diction, and extraordinary pitch control.
Mühlemann is a soprano vocalist that has a warm buttery tone that is also blessed with flawless technique. She brings us a magical program with Fairy Tales. The Swiss chamber orchestra, CHAARTS Chamber Artists, performs brilliantly, and the arrangement by Wolfgang Renz elevates the music to new mystical heights.
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