Cilea: La dolcissima effigie (from Adriana Lecouvreur)

“One might think the musicianship of the tenor Jonas Kaufmann would be wasted on the frankly third-rate music of the verismo composers. But given his emotional commitment and powerful middle register, this recital proves an irresistible outpouring of melodrama” The Telegraph, 22nd October 2010 ****

“Italian repertoire now, is it? Given the prodigious gifts of the German tenor Jonas Kaufmann we shouldn’t be too surprised. But there’s still considerable novelty as that darkly lustrous voice plunges headlong into anguish...Fluent in Italian, Kaufmann is equally at ease navigating the arias’ vocal and emotional tempests.” The Times, 8th October 2010

“Kaufmann sings Giordano (“Come un bel dì di maggio”), Leoncavallo (“Vesti la giubba”), Mascagni (“Mamma!”) and others with lusty good taste” Financial Times, 23rd October 2010 ***

“...there is rare sensitivity to the words in his Lamento di Federico (Cilea’s L’Arlesiana) and Turiddu’s Mamma, quel vino è generoso (Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana). The best news is Kaufmann’s thrilling Andrea Chénier (Giordano): a gripping Improviso is followed by a soaring Come un bel dì di maggio” Sunday Times, 24th October 2010 ****

“The accompaniments are special..[Pappano] is hugely alert to detail, weighting and what's happening on the imaginary stage around the singer...Kaufmann has entered this world most completely. His Italian is good, as are his desire and ability to project clearly differentiated characters. He is never afraid to sing softly...and there is plenty of power when needed.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2010

“Not only does Kaufmann have a fine voice but he knows how to use it: admirable technique, interpretative ability and much intelligence when it comes to changes of colour, gradations of tone and weight and the willingness to sing softly. There is nothing monochromatic about his performances” International Record Review, November 2010

“This is a wonderful disc, the most exciting and enterprising operatic recital I have heard for a very long time...Kaufmann has everything, and at the age of 40 his voice may well be in its finest shape. He brings a Classical training to these arias, and yet he doesn't in any degree stint on the passion.” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2010 *****

“The only really well-known pieces are those from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, which Kaufmann delivers with the same directness and perfectly judged musicality that he uses for the far less familiar ones. The colour, the elegance and the sheer beauty of tone in his singing are truly exceptional” The Guardian, 16th December 2010 *****

“It seems he really is able to do anything: his rich, dark-hued tenor lends itself to dramatic singing (a raging, heartbroken 'Vesti la giubba'), yet he can also caress a pianissimo vocal line and float exquisite top notes (Cilea's Lamento di Federico)...The other stars of the disc are Pappano and his Santa Cecilia orchestra who perfectly capture the music's passionate, glowing ebb and flow.” Classic FM Magazine, February 2011 *****

“a brave, dedicated and altogether arresting piece of work...a series of steps in unfamiliar directions, taken boldly and with complete confidence and conviction... the sheer originality, versatility and freshness-the excellence-of what Kaufmann creates in every piece demands from the listener a comparable willingness to bring fresh ears to the listening.” Opera

“This anthology's title track, 'Cielo e mar!', comes from Ponchielli's La Gioconda, the opera that first inspired this thrilling tenor to become a singer. It gets Villazon's first solo album for DG off to a sizzling start, continued with standard fare from Verdi, Boito and Cilea. But there are also rarities, from composers such as Mercadante and Pietri.” The Observer, 22nd June 2008

“Villazon needs no special pleading for the glory of his voice (a dark, baritonal timbre that opens out thrillingly at the top) and his intensity as a performer is captured here as never before. An odd hint of strain in the Boccanegra and Poliuto items suggest he should think carefully before tackling the tenor parts from these operas in the theatre, but the rest is pure gold.” Sunday Times, 8th June 2008 ****

“In glorious voice, Villazón identifies ardently with each of these dreamy or distraught Romantic heroes. His familiar no-holds-barred intensity can occasionally misfire, as in a rather relentless account of a once-popular serenade from Pietri's Maristella. But far more often he compels with his thrilling, darkly burnished tone, generous phrasing and care for legato and shading.” The Telegraph, 31st May 2008

“Villazón sings with admirable intensity, his diction is excellent, and he can float a pianissimo when necessary. The aria from Boccanegra is one of the best things Villazón has done so far on the disc.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2008

“This is a well chosen selection of tenor arias with a few comparative rarities to offset the more obvious favourites. In its way it is a mini-history of a century of Italian opera, from Donizetti's Poliuto (1838) to Pietri's Maristella (1934). The Donizetti is the longest item and well though Villazón copes with this, it's hard to imagine him in this part, beloved of tenore di forza of the past including Tamagno and Corelli. In fact he has not sung any of these roles on stage yet; in a note he explains that the repertory here is something 'with more spontaneity…without the burden of history'.
Be that as it may, the parts for which he would seem to be destined are Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller and Viscardo in Il giuramento. Mercadante's opera is based on the same Victor Hugo play as Ponchielli's La Gioconda, so it is a good idea to contrast these two very different interpretations of the same character.
The little romanza from Pietri's opera is the only piece by him that we ever get to hear. It was a favourite with Gigli, and several other tenors have recorded it. The aria from Brazilian composer Carlos Gomes's 1873 opera Fosca is a highvoltage outpouring of emotion, as is the aria for Azael in Ponchielli's Il figliuol prodigo.
Villazón sings them all with admirable intensity, his diction is excellent, and he can float a pianissimo when necessary, as in the opening 'Cielo e mar' from La Gioconda that gives the disc its title. Recording quality is first–rate, and the accompaniment is always sympathetic.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010