Uruguayan bass-baritone, Erwin Schrott, joins Decca with a deliciously charismatic, seductive and witty debut album. This album showcases his portrayals of some of opera's most famous roles, and which have wowed both audiences and critics across the world's greatest opera houses. Erwin Schrott has astonished audiences and critics across Europe, the US and south America with his sensuous, dark bass-baritone and onstage magnetism. This album shows off Erwin at his best, singing the wide range of roles that have made him famous. His charismatic portrayals have won him global acclaim, and for the Mozart roles in particular he is now first choice at the world's greatest opera houses, including the Met, La Scala, the Royal Opera House and Vienna's Staatsoper. Schrott's debut disc is the perfect disc to showcase his distinctive, chocolaty voice and his wonderful talents for characterisation. Amongst the arias are his favourite Mozart roles as well as repertoire from the great 19th-century opera composers such as Verdi, Meyerbeer, Berliooz, and Gounod.
“Schrott knows how to change his voice’s colour, phrase by phrase, sometimes word by word, especially if the word is “Susannah”. As Figaro in the Mozart selections he’s attractively light and dancing; he can also drip with honey (Voici des roses from La Damnation de Faust) and scowl himself black (Meyerbeer’s Bertram, bound for Hell). Intimacy comes as easily, too, as the loud address: Philip’s monologue from Don Carlos (sung in French) conveys with unusual penetration the sense of someone thinking out loud, quiet and fearful.
Blips occur. His articulation fails in the racing words of the Don’s Fin ch’han dal vino. And with the wind in his sails, at the higher altitudes, he begins to suggest a foghorn, settling too rapidly for broad effects. Maybe time and experience will iron out these kinks.” The Times, 25th July 2008 ****
“Don Giovanni’s Serenade and so-called Champagne aria, Leporello’s Catalogue song and all three of Figaro’s big solos feature here, but they are randomly delivered, in a scrambled, nonsensical order...Schrott is suave and honeyed in the serenades from Don Giovanni and Gounod’s Faust, but his singing lacks variety of colour and dynamics” Sunday Times, 27th July 2008 ***
“As compilations go, this album from the newish Uruguayan opera star seems almost arbitrary in its balance and, at times, in its quality. Half the disc is devoted to Mozart and the three Da Ponte roles that made Schrott's name...But he often fares better in the quieter, more beguiling moments than in full flow - not usually the case on stage. Schrott's Verdi is less distinctive, but three arias from Berlioz, Gounod and Meyerbeer bring out the dynamic devil in him.” The Observer, 3rd August 2008
“…has an exceptionally beautiful voice, which he uses to fine effect in some of these arias. Philippe's great aria from Don Carlos is impressive, so is Procida's from Les vêpres siciliennes, and his Berlioz, Gounod and Meyerbeer are striking too.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 ****
