Tenor Jonas Kaufmann is determined not to let himself be pigeonholed, as is evident in the diversity of his repertoire, which not only spans musical eras, but stretches into roles associated with a variety of vocal types, from Mozart to Massenet, Puccini, and Wagner. Usually classified as a spinto, Kaufmann's tenor has a sometimes surprisingly baritonal quality that would seem to make him an ideal candidate for Wagner, to whom half of this disc of German operatic arias is devoted. The results are not entirely consistent, ...
Read More
Tenor Jonas Kaufmann is determined not to let himself be pigeonholed, as is evident in the diversity of his repertoire, which not only spans musical eras, but stretches into roles associated with a variety of vocal types, from Mozart to Massenet, Puccini, and Wagner. Usually classified as a spinto, Kaufmann's tenor has a sometimes surprisingly baritonal quality that would seem to make him an ideal candidate for Wagner, to whom half of this disc of German operatic arias is devoted. The results are not entirely consistent, but Kaufmann generally fulfills the expectation that he may develop into a first-rate heldentenor. He is most successful in a wonderfully lyrical "Winterstürme," and in two extended excerpts from Parsifal, where he cuts loose with thrilling power. In the program notes, he writes that he considers Lohengrin Wagner's most Italianate role and tries to bring to it a typically bel canto lyricism. In the quieter passages, particularly in "Mein liebe Schwan!," though, his voice tends to sound...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.