Jonas Kaufmann - Romantic Arias

Jonas Kaufmann is without question the most versatile tenor of his generation, and his current repertoire includes an astonishing range of opera roles from Mozart to Wagner. He is also a celebrated Lieder interpreter, equally at home on the concert platform. His Decca Debut album celebrates a luscious range of Romantic opera arias, showcasing the astonishing diversity of his voice.

Jonas Kaufmann has made stunning debuts in many of the world's leading opera houses in recent seasons. For example, to fabulous acclaim he appeared as Alfredo in La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera - "smoothly burnished, beautifully focused... and always disarmingly musical" (New York Magazine). He was Don Jose in the 2007 new production of Carmen at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden - "superb" (The Guardian).

Romantic Arias includes opera favorites by the Italian giants Verdi and Puccini, by French greats Berlioz and Bizet, and by Wagner, the epitome of German Romanticism. Kaufmann responds to each composer with seductive ease. Product Description

Interesting

I've just received this highly vaulted recital album, which is more-or-less my introduction to Kaufmann and his voice. My first thought was that the voice is as baritonal as they say -- like listening to Robert Merrill try tenor roles, though Kaufmann is fully comfortable in the range. I found this particularly distracting in the Traviata excerpt, when I couldn't stop wondering why Germont is singing his son's lines. Some tenors (Del Monoco?) do also come to mind, but rarely his (and my) idol Fritz Wunderlich; the sound is often cloudy and unclear, and rarely strings out cleanly and prettily (a notable fault in the Bizet aria, a bit better in Faust); it seems most open in the Wagner excerpt (and does sound a bit like Wunderlich there). In some cases like the concluding Werther, the sound and delivery are similar enough to Villazon that one can make a direct comparison, and Villazon comes out better. Kaufmann's interpretations are generally remarkable, and the initial Boheme excerpt was perhaps the most memorable I've ever heard -- though I often felt I was listening to the mournful end of the opera, not the hopeful beginning. He does have the advantage of his conductor's own remarkable interpretations; my only quarrel there would be that not all of the pieces should be so melting, and Armiliato's singing line sometimes prevents Kaufmann from giving some phrases as much conversational power as they should have. Over all, I was impressed, and may become more impressed with further listening. Since I couldn't do 4 and a half stars I rounded down to 4, but this is a fine recording. September 16, 2008

Tenor Arias for Mediocre Baritone

Some very distinguished tenors started out as baritones. Such was the case with the great Carlo Bergonzi who retained a warm Caruso like baritonal timbre in his voice while still hitting ringing, spinto high B-flats and singing in sweet head voice and mezza voce. Ramón Vinay also began his career as a baritone, becoming a gifted heroic tenor before returning to the baritone repetoire as his voice darkened with age.

Unfortunately, Kaufmann is not cut from the same cloth. With some effort, he could become a useful baritone. But his premature and unjustified desire to enter the tenor range is quite ridiculous, producing a strained, constipated and thoroughly unpleasant sound. And he should learn to shave. August 19, 2008

A fine large-voiced tenor at work

Jonas Kaufmann is what I would call a big voiced tenor--along the lines of Franco Corelli or Richard Tucker (I'm not saying he's that good yet--but his voice is powerful!). The liner notes begin by noting that many of us want to compartmentalize tenors--"He's a Puccini tenor," He's a Mozart tenor," "He's a Wagnerian tenor." The notes then say that ". . .Jonas Kaufmann resists [this tendency], uncompromisingly maintaining his remarkable versatility." Versatile indeed! This CD ranges from Puccini to Wagner, from Bizet to Weber and Verdi.

Let's take a look at a few of the cuts on this CD.

"Che Gelida Manina." What a tenor piece, from Puccini's "La Boheme." Kaufmann shows a good rich large voice. He also sings with considerable passion. Here and there are those annoying affectations, such as "catches" and "cries," but not anything that really detracts from his art. When he sings "Vivo" or "millionaria," his voice sounds great. He can up his volume without his voice becoming out of control (no bleating here!). The high note on "la speranza" seems well hit, with power behind it. This is not another "light voiced" tenor.

"E Lucevan le Stelle." This classic tenor piece from Puccini's "Tosca' is also well sung. When he opens to full volume, again, the outcome is splendid. Again, some annoying mannerisms, but not an issue. His close is dramatically sung.

"Lunge da Lei. . .De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti." An affecting piece from Verdi's "La Traviata." Again, nicely sung. His voice works well with Verdi's music.

Finally, "Morgenlich Leuchtend" from Wagner's "Die Meistersinger." This shows his range in terms of roles. And this is very well and smoothly sung. The richness of his voice works well here.

So, it seems to me that Jonas Kaufmann is a fine tenor, with a welcome large voice that retains musicality. I look forward to tracking the arc of his professional singing career. . . .
August 10, 2008

A Promising, Committed Artist with a wonderful Voice

Large-voiced tenors are in short supply today, a phenomenon that most likely traces its origin to the vocal education system that stresses importance on the purity of tone so favored in Mozart and Handel's operas that are in such a vogue in today's classical music scene. However beautiful and well-controlled many of today's tenor voices are, this does not produce the thrilling electricity that you can get from voices that once rang full and true in a manner similar to that of the singers from an earlier part of the century like Ludwig Suthaus, Ramon Vinay, and Max Lorenz in the German wing and Franco Corelli and Carlo Bergonzi in the Italian department. Fortunately, a few stars do emerge from this low calorie vocal rubble who can prove themselves successors to the crown that has for so long been left to the hands of many a tenor who lacks not only the heft but also the imagination to apply that magical touch that place the stamp on the work of a star. Jonas Kaufmann is one such singer, and it is most fortunate that Decca took the incentive to hire this tenor for a long awaited recital CD featuring his work in a variety of repertory that not only amazes the listener with this artist's versatility, but also with his outstanding commitment.

Perhaps he is not idiomatic in every sense of the word. His work in Puccini hardly describes the plush, Italianate cushion that characterizes the work of tenors like Bergonzi, nor does his Verdi raise any flags that indicate the second coming of a Domingo or a Carreras. However, its his ability to produce a consistently charming and aesthetically beguiling interpretation of these roles outside his natural fach that makes him such an irresistible find. His voice is perhaps better suited (due to its dark, large timbre) to the more heroic German roles, but we would be poorer if we didn't hear what magic he could conjure with his singing outside roles like Walther.

A truly outstanding debut CD, and from the previews taken from the Meistersinger and Freischutz excerpts, I certainly hope to hear more from this tenor that will edge him slowly towards the roles where I believe his voice will truly shine--Siegmund, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Tristan, and Siegfried. July 10, 2008

Well done

Mr. Kaufmann has a nice voice, the high registrer sounds different than the low, but any way he has his own style and as result it's a good interpretation!

Well Done!! July 8, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...