Jonas Kaufmann

“This new disc is mostly magnificent, but had me pining for more...Kaufmann may never sing Siegfried in the theatre, but the Forest Murmurs here, in an usually extended version, makes one long to hear him in the complete role; the Tannhäuser Rome Narration even more so, a shattering account...all told this is a further testimony to [Kaufmann's] lonely greatness among contemporary Wagner tenors.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2013 *****

“a matchless Wagner recital...Tannhäuser’s Act 3 Rome Narration is a triumph of heroic timbre, dramatic intensity and musical sensibility...The gem for me is the Wesendonck Lieder, intended for soprano and yet, thanks to singing of such melting ardour, perfectly “owned” by the world’s leading Wagner tenor.” Financial Times, 2nd February 2013 *****

“Turn immediately to the Tannhäuser excerpt...Kaufmann both darkens and stresses up his voice to portray the failed pilgrim's predicament...The other operatic excerpts...also find the tenor pushing the confines of a recital disc excitingly towards the level of live performance...the disc is something of a triumph.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2013

“When I listen to Wagner, this is how I dream it should sound.” Musical Toronto, 5th February 2013

“To judge from the performances on this wide-ranging sampler, the Met's new Parsifal seems ready for coronation as the reigning Wagnerian tenor of his generation.” Opera News, April 2013

“Kaufmann is so careful that the sudden fire of some of his operatic performances can shock...[He] lets us in to the naivety and the purity of [Siegfried]...his enacting of Tannhäuser’s “Rome Narrative...is tremendously effective...it is as near to an internal Tannhäuser as we are going to get” Opera Today, April 2013

“As Siegmund, his dark, baritonal timbre comes into its own. In Rienzi’s Prayer and Tannhäuser’s Roman narration, his Italianate timbre — surely what Wagner wanted — easily negotiates the bel canto turns and grace notes overlooked by burlier singers...No Wagner tenor sings Lieder with such musicianship, colour and sensitivity. With this glorious disc, Kaufmann sets a standard for our time.” Sunday Times, 3rd February 2013

“His artistry is exceptional. His sexy, heroic way with Siegmund, and the marvellous introversion he brings to Lohengrin's In Fernem Land, leave us in no doubt as to why he is today's interpreter of choice for both roles. Yet he brings the same insight and intensity to his new material...Best of all is Rienzi's prayer, in which his almost oceanic tone blends with the elegance of the fine Mozart singer he once was.” The Telegraph, 7th March 2013 ****

“this studio recording of Bizet’s opera compels attention for a variety of reasons...[Rattle and Kozena] stress their wish to return to the “chamber feeling” of the French tradition into which the work was born, rather than the “grand opera” tradition in which it is routinely draped.” Financial Times, 18th August 2012 ***

“The Berlin Philharmonic bring an intensified drama to the score without becoming weighty...theatricality is everywhere here, in what is one of the best-played Carmen recordings on disc...I'm glad [Kozena's Carmen] is recorded if only because it shows how beautifully the role can be sung while remaining largely convincing...What life and imagination [Kaufmann] brings to every phrase.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2012

“[Kozena] brings something compelling and exciting to her portrayal of the amoral gypsy... In many ways [Kaufmann's] dark, sexy tenor evokes the Mediterranean colour that Kožená avoids...Be in no doubt, however, that if there is a star in this recording then it is the man on the podium. Rattle’s reading of the score bristles with vitality and his vision brings the Berlin Philharmonic to life in a way that few other orchestras could manage for this opera, especially on disc” MusicWeb International, August 2012

“Rattle’s Berliners offer a dynamic Vorsprung durch Technik Carmen...[Kozena] is a subtle, intelligent singer with not-bad French, but she never convincingly suggests she is inside the skin of the part, and sounds ill-matched to Jonas Kaufmann’s unhinged, fearsomely intense José in their final confrontation. The German tenor is the main reason for acquiring this set” Sunday Times, 26th August 2012

“[Kožená] is an intelligent Carmen, self-assured and self-determining, though you can't escape the facts that her voice sounds small and that the role, in places, is simply too low. The main reason to listen to the set is Jonas Kaufmann's beautifully sung, wonderfully perceptive José. The glamour in his tone is perfect, and so too are the hints early on of the nervous moodiness that will gradually become pathological” The Guardian, 13th September 2012 ***

“Kozena and Jonas Kaufmann are perfectly matched in the lead roles, bringing a persuasive emotional chemistry to Carmen and Don Jose’s doomed affair...the support of minor roles and choir is exceptional, particularly the enchanting urchins’ chorus provided by the Kinderchor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin.” The Independent, 18th August 2012 *****

“what is pleasantly surprising is the success of Magdalena Kozená in the title role, which she presents as a convincingly cool and intelligent Carmen of real dignity and complex feelings...the Berlin Philharmonic lets down its hair and plays for Rattle with magnificent abandon. If you are tired of Carmen or think you know the score backwards, here is a performance to make you fall in love with it all over again.” The Telegraph, 24th August 2012 *****

“There’s much to enjoy. Never an opera specialist, Rattle digs out details that other maestros let slumber. The high-speed energy is infectious; and the microphones keep the orchestral sound lovely...Rattle offers Carmen the gorgeous symphonic experience” The Times, 17th August 2012 ***