Five years after her last solo recording of verismo arias, Russian star soprano Anna Netrebko returns with another whopper of an album. Amata dalle Tenebre is a bit of flag planting, signalling the kind of high-wattage roles that Netrebko is likely to unveil and frequently perform at this late stage of her career. At 49, her spinto instrument has never been more powerful or full-bodied, and it’s almost shocking to recall that she spent more than a few years singing lyric coloratura roles.

Partnered by Riccardo Chailly and the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, her diva bona fides are on full display in Ritorna vincitor, which fairly explodes with feeling. She traverses the top and bottom of the voice with ease, and there’s a grandness and sweep to her singing that’s just perfect for mature Verdi. She brings similar pathos and a feeling of wisdom gained through bitter experience in the same composer’s Tu che le vanità, while her rendition of Poveri Fiori from Adriana Lecouvreur