I love opera, but I am admitted very picky about which sopranos I like to listen to. I seem to definitely lean toward the light lyric sopranos with a very clear tone. My all-time favorite is Kathleen Battle, but I also like some of Regine Crespin and especially Renata Tebaldi's works. I like what I've heard by Lucia Popp and Barbara Bonney, though neither seems to sing much of what I like to listen to (primarily Italian and French opera). And while I know Sissel isn't an opera singer, I think her Pie Jesu is heartrendingly perfect.
I definitely don't care for the more dramatic type sopranos, like Jessye Norman or Maria Callas. Not that those ladies aren't enormously talented, of course -- just that their voices aren't my preferred type :)
At any rate, I am hoping some of the other music lovers here can help me expand my soprano repertoire a bit! Let me know if you have any suggestions :)
