By dint of exceptional vocal talent and conscientious musicianship, Carol Vaness has risen through the ranks of her contemporaries to become one of the pre-eminent spinto sopranos of the day. With a warm, rounded vocal timbre, a vibrato that pulses with excitement, thrilling top notes, and a generous measure of self-discipline, she commands a broad swath of the repertory. When doors seemed initially closed to Verdi and the works of the bel canto composers, she became an exemplary Mozartian, gaining a near monopoly on the role of Donna Anna in many houses. As her reputation gre...