The Very Best of Alfredo Kraus

 

Release Date: 04/26/2005 Label: EMI Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Alfredo Kraus cd info/ buy

Review:

Alfredo Kraus remained an EMI Classics artist throughout most of his career. It is for that reason that this compilation extends from the early 1960s (two arias from Così, as conducted by Karl Böhm) up to a live recording from December 1987 ("Una furtiva lagrima" from L'Elisir d'amore and "Salut! demeure chaste et pure" from Faust). Kraus, who was born on September 24, 1927 in the Canary Islands, was 60 at the time, and hardly less of fresh of voice than he was in the Così recording. Kraus was a lyric tenor who never sounded juvenile. In lighter bel canto roles such as Ernesto (Don Pasquale) a more youthful vocal persona would have been more appropriate, perhaps, but in the heavier ones, such as Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Arturo (I puritani), Kraus's power, maturity, and masculinity were welcomed – no tenorino here. His bright, trumpeting voice and exciting high notes were tempered by a sunny suavity. On the other hand, he could be a rather bland interpreter. Given his excellence in the French repertoire, in particular, it is tempting to go as far back as Georges Thill when looking for comparisons. Kraus died in 1999. Most of these selections are taken from Kraus's complete recordings; the exceptions are the two indicated above from 1987, which were recorded at this Paris Opéra. (Frankly, it is a shame that Kraus left commercial recordings of neither L'Elisir nor Faust.) This means that Kraus is joined by excellent singers, including Montserrat Caballé in I Puritani, Renata Scotto in La bohème and La traviata, and Beverly Sills in Rigoletto and Don Pasquale. The selections have been chosen well, although, as with the other releases, there are some untidy fade-in and fade-outs. With the exception of Così, the engineering remains bright and shiny. This is an excellent compilation, and for those who are less familiar with Kraus than with the "Three Tenors," this might whet their appetite for more.

 

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Donizetti - Anna Bolena - Callas, Simionato, Raimondi, Gavazzeni

Release Date: 1987 Label: Melodram Number of discs: 2 Composer: Gaetano Donizetti Performer: Maria Callas cd info/ buy

Review:

I must confess that I was totally transfixed by Callas's singing in Anna Bolena. I am not normally an uncritical Callas fan - I find that her tendency to sing sharp and her tone to assume an acidic quality detract from her unparalleled ability to infuse musical phrases and words with meaning. But this is one of the occasions when the voice was doing exactly what she was asking it to do. And, in truth, she was asking it to do incredible things which invariably come off. It is a tremendous performance, culminating in a death scene that had me in tears and sent the audience of La Scala into wild paroxysms. It is hard to imagine what this performance must have been like in the flesh, but this recording suggests the magical heights an artist can reach when she has the 'flow'. Simionato is pulled along by Callas to give one of her greatest performances, rising to match Callas in their magnificent duet. This is a recording that truly makes one understand why opera can hold some of the most intense experiences in a person's life. A treasure. Performer: Maria Callas, Giulietta Simionato, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, Plinio Clabassi, Luigi Rumbo, Gianni Raimondi, Gabriella Carturan Conductor: Gianandrea Gavazzeni Orchestra/Ensemble: Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, Milan Teatro alla Scala Chorus

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Donizetti - Les Martyrs - Gelmetti, Teatro La Fenice

 

Release Date: 07/26/2005 Label: Living Stage Number of discs: 3 Composer: Gaetano Donizetti Performer: Gianluigi Gelmetti cd info/ buy

Review:

This live recording of Donizetti's "Les Martyrs" (the French grand opera version of "Poliuto") features the great Leyla Gencer as Pauline. For the revised 'Poliuto' Donizetti rewrote the recitatives, divided act one in two and wrote a new finale. He also added arias, trios and the de rigueur ballet. The new four-act version was premiered as Les Martyrs at The Opéra on 10th March 1840. Poliuto in its original form was not performed until 1848. it was the maturity of Donizetti’s musical creation that captivated me. Arias extend into duets and trios with an associated orchestral complexity that marks a significant development in his compositional style. Of the singing cast Renato Bruson as Severe is outstanding. At the time of this recording he was arguably the finest Donizetti baritone before the public. His singing had a wide palette of vocal colour, fine legato and the capacity to characterise a role second to none. Leyla Gencer’s portrayal of Pauline is at its best. Born in 1924 in Istanbul she had an enviable reputation in Rossini, Donizetti and early Verdi. I am glad to be able to be able to write that overall the performance and mono recording enable a good appreciation of the composer’s considerable achievement and one that should be heard by all lovers of his music. Performer:  Francesco Signor,  Oslavio di Credico,  Leyla Gencer,  Mario Guggia,  Renato Bruson, Ottavio Garaventa,  Ferruccio Furlanetto Conductor:  Gianluigi Gelmetti Orchestra/Ensemble:  Venice Teatro la Fenice Orchestra,  Venice Teatro la Fenice Chorus

 

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The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda

 

Release Date: 09/02/2003 Label: Emi Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Nicolai Gedda cd info/ buy

Review:

Hands down, Nicolai Gedda was the classiest lyric tenor of the 1950s and '60s (and very early '70s). For the most part he wisely kept away from the after-1860 Italian repertoire: his voice lacked the necessary juice, and with Björling, Bergonzi, Corelli, and del Monaco around, why bother? These CDs offer two hours and 35 minutes of singing--and interpreting--that never tire the ear and never bore. "Ach so fromm" is ravishing in its intimacy (by its close, it's normally shouted); Lohengrin's Narrative may lack heft, but it's a model of lyricism and Gedda darkens his tone enough to give it authority; an aria from Goldmark's The Queen of Sheba closes on an unearthly head-voiced high-C that's matched only by a similar feat in Bizet's Pearl Fishers (a performance notable for its great breath control and legato as well); Hoffman's tale of Kleinzach is a riveting, snappy story, filled with just the schizophrenia the role requires; the Dmitri/Marina duet from Boris is energetic and filled with smoldering undercurrent; three Tchaikovsky songs become little dramas; Beethoven's "Adelaide" and Schubert's "Ständchen" are models of Lieder singing; selections by Gounod and Massenet exhibit his impeccable French diction and style; the high-D at the close of Adam's "Postman" aria and repeated Cs in William Tell's would be the envy of any tenor; and his bel canto style in a duet from Sonnambula (with Mirella Freni) is ideal. Yes, this is the very best of Nicolai Gedda.--Robert Levine

 

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Donizetti Divas

 

Release Date: 01/09/2001 Label: Opera Rara Number of discs: 1 Composer: Gaetano Donizetti Performer: Various cd info/ buy

Review:

A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna". The word entered the English language in the late 19th century. It is derived from the Italian noun diva, a female deity. The plural of the word in English is "divas"; in Italian, dive. The basic sense of the term is "goddess", the feminine of the Latin word divus (Italian divo), a male deity. The word is thus distantly related to the Hindu term deva and the Zoroastrian concept of the daevas. The male divo does exist in Italian and it is usually reserved for the most prominent leading tenors. Performer:  Anne Mason,  Yvonne Kenny,  Margreta Elkins,  Nuccia Focile,  Christian Du Plessis, Rico Serbo,  Ludmilla Andrew,  Lynne Davies,  Della Jones, Regina Nathan,  Bruce Ford,  Robert McFarland,  Nelly Miricioiu, Matthew Hargreaves,  Lois McDonall,  Renée Fleming,  Janet Price, Eiddwen Harrhy,  David Ashman,  Ian Platt,  Brendan McBride, Theresa Goble,  Linda Kitchen,  Diana Montague,  Majella Cullagh, Cristina Pastorello,  Dominic Natoli Conductor:  David Parry,  James Judd,  Alun Francis Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,  London Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

 

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Natalie Dessay - The Miracle of the Voice

 

Release Date: 01/16/2007 Label: Virgin Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Natalie Dessay cd info/ buy

Review:

Natalie Dessay has been in the forefront now for well nigh fifteen years and it is not only the usual hype to entitle this album “The Miracle of the Voice”. She certainly has an astonishing technique: bell-like clarity, effortless top notes, sure-footed coloratura and a trill to match. Her pianissimo singing is ravishing and then her tone is smooth as satin. It is a light voice, though she can engender quite a lot of power and then she also finds a somewhat darker timbre. The Mad Scene from Lucie de Lammermoor shows her dramatic abilities and she is obviously a good actor. listening through this two and a half hours offering was a great pleasure and I soon forgot to conjure up memories of many a great singer from the distant – and not so distant – past who have excelled in this repertoire. She is definitely a miracle of her own and here are collected some of the most taxing arias ever written and they are impressively sung. It is a pity that the notes don’t give any clues as to when the recordings were made, how the voice has changed during the ten years this collection encompasses, but to my ears her voice seems to have been very consistent. The program is a fine mix and shows the many-sided talent of this fascinating artist.

 

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Viva Villazon!

 

Release Date: 04/23/2008 Label: Virgin Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Rolando Villazón cd info/ buy

Review:

The most exciting tenor during the first decade of the new millennium has undoubtedly been Rolando Villazón. He has a charming appearance, is a good actor, has a voice that besides brilliance and beauty can also express all kinds of nuance, he has good taste and a versatility that is stunning. In other words he has all the attributes to make him a star performer. More than once his voice has been compared to that of the young Placido Domingo. In certain repertoire, notably on this set in the two zarzuela arias, the similarities are so close that one has to check who is singing. As can be seen from the track list, we are treated to a large number of the expected standard arias. Few of them have been better sung in recent times. We are also treated to several comparative rarities, which makes this an attractive buy even for those who are already well stocked with the standard stuff. When, for example, did you last hear something from Gounod’s Polyeucte or Massenet’s Le Mage and Roma? The sacred song by Berlioz is also something for the rarity list. Make no mistake: these are high quality pieces that are very likely to become friends to which you will want to return.

 

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Juan Diego Florez - Arias for Rubini

 

Release Date: January 22, 2008 Label: Decca Number of discs: 1 Composer: Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti  Performer: Juan Diego Flórez cd info/ buy

Review:

The title of this CD is somewhat of a misnomer; except for the selection from Marino Faliero, the arias here were not composed specifically for Giovanni Battista Rubini. He did, however, appear in most of the operas, albeit in revivals years after their premieres. (There are doubts as to whether he ever sang the aria composed for Il Turco in Italia.) The point is that Rubini (1794-1854) had a voice that, judging from the scores composed for him and/or the roles he sang, was warm and expressive, of a good size, with an ease in coloratura, and an upper extension to a staggering high-F above high-C. Precisely how he reached these stratospheric tones is still open to debate--they apparently were neither in full chest voice nor weak falsetto. His dramatic intensity made audiences swoon; to be sure, he changed the way audiences looked at tenors. I'm not certain if people are swooning over Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez, but he sings these arias with an ease, grace, and charm that may have been similar to Rubini's, even if he takes even the highest notes in full voice and not in what is known as a voix-mixte, a sort of reinforced falsetto that may have been what Rubini used. Rubini was Bellini's favorite tenor (both Sonnambula and Puritani were written for him), and indeed, the two Bellini selections recorded here are the jewels in this recital's crown. Gualtiero in Il Pirata is a hero in love; his bold tone and exclamatory style are nicely contrasted with his gentle cantilena. The aria's opening pages have a Spanish/Mediterranean flavor and Florez catches the manner precisely. Later in the recital, he sings an aria from the composer's early Bianca e Fernando, with long lines, a lovely wedding of words and music, and some elegantly florid passages. Florez reaches a high E-flat at one point, and it's quite a feat, with just a bit of stiffness in the notes leading up to it. Arnoldo's lengthy scene from William Tell (it is sung in Italian) is a great tour de force. It first expresses longing and then turns into a vengeful call to arms, with high-Cs flying left and right. Roberto Abbado's leadership in this scene is particularly heart-stopping, and his chorus and orchestra out-do themselves. A never-before-recorded aria from an 1825 revival of Rossini's La donna del lago is a dazzler (it's a reworking of a piece from his 1819 masterpiece, Ermione), filled with difficult runs and frills, and the Il turco in Italia aria has some fine reflective moments before the fun begins, with high-Ds popping out all over the place. The Marino Faliero piece is a downhearted affair, and Florez sings it movingly, the high notes as expressive as they are impressive, and Norfolk's long scene from Elisabetta catches just the right villainous, manipulative tone. There are some people who find this type of music tiresome--there are so many notes and it's so showy that it can exhaust the listener. Furthermore, after listening to more than 70 minutes of singing, the wonderful brightness to Florez's tone can be a bit much, but that also was true about recitals by the young Pavarotti. Take a break every 20 minutes and you'll return refreshed enough to revel in Florez's golden tone, intelligent use of text, and impeccable enunciation, phrasing, and musicianship. You won't be disappointed by this recital, and although he sounds nothing like Pavarotti, you'll get a similar sense of sheer love of singing and desire to communicate. As suggested above, Abbado's leadership is right on the money. Bravi!--Robert Levine

 

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Juan Diego Florez - Bel Canto Spectacular

 

Release Date: January 13, 2009 Label: Decca Number of discs: 1 Composer: Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi  Performer: Juan Diego Florez cd info/ buy

Review:

The King of the High Ds returns with an album of bel canto arias and duets. Juan Diego Florez once again proves why he is THE tenor in demand around the world for the operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. In fact, he even broke the 70 year-old taboo against encores at La Scala in Donizetti s La Fille du Régiment, effortlessly tossing off 18 high Cs in a row (twice as many as other tenors)! For this special album, Florez is joined by an all-star roster of his friends, including Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo, Mariusz Kwiecien, Patrizia Ciofi and Daniela Barcellona. Rarely have so many talents come together on one recording. For anyone who wants to hear truly great singing of a repertoire long known for it's vocal difficulties, you can't go wrong with this.

 

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