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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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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Charles Gounod - Mors et Vita - Hendricks, Denize, Aler, van Dam, Plasson

 

Release Date: August 5, 2002 Label: EMI Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Charles Gounod Performer: Michel Plasson, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse  cd info/ buy

Review:

It was the ambition of Gounod to write a great sacred trilogy. He counted the " Redemption " the first part, " Mors et Vita" (" Death and Life") the second, and was engaged upon the third at the time of his death. Both the " Redemption" and " Mors et Vita" are in turn themselves trilogies. " Mors et Vita" was dedicated by Gounod to Pope Leo XIII. The text is arranged from the liturgy of the Catholic Church and the vulgate, and is throughout in Latin. In his preface Gounod thus explains his purpose : " This work is a continuation of my sacred trilogy, the " Redemption." It will perhaps be asked why, in the title, I have placed death before life. It is because in the order of eternal things death precedes life, although, in the order of temporal things life precedes death. Death is only the  end of that existence which dies each day; it is only the end of a continual 'dying.' But it is the first moment, and, as it were, the birth of that which dies no more." The first part of the work, " Death" is nothing more or less than a Requiem Mass; the second part is termed " Judgment ;" the third deals with Eternal Life. Throughout this recording the musicianship of the performers is magnificently on display. Though the work is on the whole too long, as a recording one can sit back and wallow in the rich score, the beautiful voices of Barbara Hendricks, Nadine Denize, John Aler and Jose van Dam, and the wonderfully controlled emotion of Maestro Michael Plasson. The chorus is magnificent and the orchestra performs with a rich variety of color and character.   Performer: Barbara Hendricks, Nadine Denize, John Aler, José van Dam, Christoph Kuhlmann, et al. Orchestra: Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse Conductor: Michel Plasson

 

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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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