Jonas Kaufmann - Romantic Arias
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Free Music Notes for Romantic Arias
Free Music Review: Excellent Young Tenor
Hit: 5 Stars
Jonas Kaufman has a very promising career in front of him. He must sing the operas that are for his young voice.Free Music Review: A Great CD
Hit: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoy this CD. Kaufmann has a wonderful voice. He joins a group of very talented tenors.Free Music Review: More Herr Kaufmann, danke!
Hit: 4 Stars
I've taken a different - or at least partially opposing point of view regarding this album than a number of my friends. Initially, I, must admit I was slightly disappointed, expecting something more . . . but it is fast (very fast) growing on me. I have to laugh at some public forum comments on this artist as being "Male Netrebko."
Most early major label recordings of any artist always feature them in too familiar works pitting them against the memories (real or imagined) of one's favorite singers and the incomparable manner in which they sang such chestnuts.
However, the fact remains that Kaufmann is actually singing some of these roles and I think, ultimately for both voice and career, he is being absolutely wise in his choice of repertoire and keeping the voice flexible, fresh and free. What a Tannhauser he will make with that sound. Ditto Parsifal, Lohengrin and . . . well, I'm jumping ahead of myself.
The primary reason I think this album is growing on me, however, is that I absolutely LOVE the rather considerable contrast he brings to roles when compared to more "typical" Rodolfos, Fausts, des Grieuxs, Marios and Alfredos. We're living in a magical time for light/lyric tenors but, even despite their distinct sounds and interpretations, they prove to have more uniform timbres presenting less wholly original dramatic spectrum in these roles. I love the individual stamp that any singer can bring to these roles and for that reason am thrilled that as fine and intelligent singer as Herr Kaufmann is he seems to invest something unusual into each of his assignments. For this alone, he rises to the top of the current "youngish" brood.
(For something truly wonderful check out the youtubes of Kaufmann in some of his operetta selections. Wunderbar!)
To these ears, his French and Italian sound fine, if a bit more idiosyncratic than idiomatic. Unlike other reviewers, however, I don't think this is due so much to his accenting these languages in a native German voice, but rather resulting from his naturally darkish hue as well as the substantial weightiness of his voice. In these Italian and lighter French selections, I have come to adore the sound of this voice - as well as the odd mixture of ease and intensity that seems to come through everything he interprets.
Kaufmann's Rodolfo sounds a bit meatier than we've grown accustomed to - and remains the least successful aria on the album. Still, I'm glad to have it as it's aurally intriguing and the likelihood of a studio Boheme with Kaufmann is less than nil, future generations wondering what he might have sounded like get to hear, and (most likely) grateful he ultimately took his considerable gifts into another direction. Still, I can never get enough of good singers trying their voices out in fachs not distinctly their own, even for the sheer "curiosity shop" factor of it all. Kaufmann is no less "curious" to me.
Soon enough will he be excelling as Parsifal, Lohengrin, and other heroic
German roles. I'd love to see/hear him as Max in Freischutz, and some other of the Webber arias that just don't get aired enough. Having Kaufmann in them could probably guarantee some interesting less frequently repertoire choices would sell some seats. I loved his turn in the new Fierrabras - though the production itself often drove me crazy. What the hell, I also want to hear this guy as Peter Grimes - - even if it comes off as (as Sills used to imitate Koussivetsky) "Paeter und Greimez."
I am looking forward to very many more Kaufmann releases!
Free Music Review: Nice Debut Recital
Hit: 4 Stars
Jonas Kauffman may not be the most familiar name in opera, since he's relatively new on the international scene. While I vaguely remembered hearing his name mentioned a few times, no doubt form listening to radio broadcasts from New York's Metropolitan Opera, it was only after reading a review of this CD in OPERA NEWS that my interest was piqued in his artistry. The reviewer could not speak highly enough of him. He was being hailed as in the tradition of the greats, so I decided to see if the collection was worthy of such praise. I certainly enjoyed the collection and it is my guess is that he's at the beginning of a wonderful career.
In this collection, Kaufmann tackles some of operas best known tenor arias. This in itself is a challenge. Since listeners are so familiar with Pavarotti, Domingo, Corelli, and di Stefano performing, and in some case all but owning many of the arias in this set, comparisons would be natural. While he is not yet in the same category as some of the legendary tenors, he could well be on his way. He has a full voice with wonderful expression. Most of the arias are the standard 19th century arias. and he is adept in the Italian, French, and German repertoire. His strongest arias are those from LA BOHEME, CARMEN, MEISTERSINGER, DER FREISCHUTZ, and MARTHA. Overall the French repertoire may not be his strongest suit since the two weakest arias are from FAUST and WERTHER where he tends to strain a bit in both..
My guess is that this is just the first Kauffman recording. His voice is appealing, it has the full sound we associate with tenors such as Pavarotti et al, and he's at home in a wide variety of roles. This is a worthwhile collection to own, but I think it's safe to predict that as good as this collection is, the best may be yet to come.
Free Music Review: Interesting
Hit: 4 Stars
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.