Anna Netrebko Verdi Album: CD Cover Sparks Ridicule and Controversy

Anna Netrebko's new Verdi CD will arrive in August but it has already created controversy over its front cover.

Deutsche Gramophon announced the new album on June 12 and gave a sneak peak with the CD cover. The cover features the diva's face with a blue backdrop. However the image looks heavily photoshopped.

Many of the Russian soprano's fans reacted on Facebook and stated  "Sorry to say bit this is a bad Photoshop work. Somebody else owns Anna's head."  "AWFUL COVER!!!! Huge head, small shoulders, the shadow under the chin is just horrible!! Designer must be hates her :-(((((((," another said.

Another fan added, "Too much photoshop. She looks a lot better in real life. Horrible cover." Meanwhile others threatened to not buy the CD and wrote," What a cheap photoshop! if the album is like the cover better not to buy it" Another added, "I'll never buy this cd with that cover ! Photoshop horror !"

Other fans pleaded with the CD company to change the main image and stated, "PLEASE CHANGE THE ARTWORK !!!!!!!!! DG did some quite better job for a CD cover. Fire the product manager!"

Even New York Post journalist James Jorden wrote, as his alter ego La Cieca, "Photoshopping maybe just a tad too aggressive? Or is there some symbolic meaning in making Anna look like an android?"

The CD will be released internationally on August 9, 2013 and includes arias from "Macbeth," "Il Trovatore," "Giovanna d'Arco," "Don Carlo," and I Vespri Siciliani."

The CD was conducted by Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda and marks Netrebko's first solo studio recording in five years.

Netrebko next performs in Red Square where she will sing alongside Dimitri Hvorostovsky in a concert that will celebrate Verdi and will also include works by Tchaikovsky and Puccini.