Great Operatic Arias - Sir Thomas Allen (Volume 2)
Sir Thomas Allen with Claire Rutter (soprano), Susan Gritton (soprano), Gwyn Hughes Jones (tenor) & Philip Tebb (bass) Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry Over a long and still flourishing career Sir Thomas Allen has given benchmark performances in several
operatic roles of which Mozart and Verdi operas figure strongly. With two spicy exceptions, every item
in this programme comes from an opera by Mozart or Verdi. Part of the design of this recital series is to
highlight the particular type of voice and explore its repertoire. The works chosen for this disc provide a
unique showcase of Sir Thomas Allen’s unique gifts and that of the baritone in general. The Sunday
Telegraph wrote of volume one, “How good to have this anthology of Thomas Allen’s versatility in a
wide range of his operatic roles… anyone who cherishes good singing will rejoice in this great baritone’s
smooth legato, perfect diction, subtle characterisation and, of course, beautiful and unmistakable voice,”
and The Guardian noted “As always, Allen was a supremely intelligent recitalist, matching sound with
sense, probing the meaning of a text without fracturing the vocal line.”
As in previous issues, the solos are interspersed with longer excerpts, duets and ensembles, including
performances with Susan Gritton and Claire Rutter. With Ford’s monologue in Falstaff, Sir Thomas
extends his lyrical voice to encompass the more theatrical style of late Verdi and in the lighter Weill
‘September Song’, he extends it further, albeit in a different direction altogether. Other repertoire
includes an aria from Meyerbeer’s Dinorah, recitatives and arias from Verdi’s Macbeth and La Traviata,
arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and duets from The Magic Flute. “The voice is beautifully captured by the clear recording and, as ever, David Parry and the Philharmonia provide sterling support. Pure pleasure. ” Gramophone Magazine, June 2008 |
