|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Tenor Arias for Mediocre Baritone Aug 19, 2008
Some very distinguished tenors started out as baritones. Such was the case with the great Carlo Bergonzi who retained a warm Caruso like baritonal timbre in his voice while still hitting ringing, spinto high B-flats and singing in sweet head voice and mezza voce. Ramón Vinay also began his career as a baritone, becoming a gifted heroic tenor before returning to the baritone repetoire as his voice darkened with age.
Unfortunately, Kaufmann is not cut from the same cloth. With some effort, he could become a useful baritone. But his premature and unjustified desire to enter the tenor range is quite ridiculous, producing a strained, constipated and thoroughly unpleasant sound. And he should learn to shave.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 A fine large-voiced tenor at work Aug 10, 2008
Jonas Kaufmann is what I would call a big voiced tenor--along the lines of Franco Corelli or Richard Tucker (I'm not saying he's that good yet--but his voice is powerful!). The liner notes begin by noting that many of us want to compartmentalize tenors--"He's a Puccini tenor," He's a Mozart tenor," "He's a Wagnerian tenor." The notes then say that ". . .Jonas Kaufmann resists [this tendency], uncompromisingly maintaining his remarkable versatility." Versatile indeed! This CD ranges from Puccini to Wagner, from Bizet to Weber and Verdi.
Let's take a look at a few of the cuts on this CD.
"Che Gelida Manina." What a tenor piece, from Puccini's "La Boheme." Kaufmann shows a good rich large voice. He also sings with considerable passion. Here and there are those annoying affectations, such as "catches" and "cries," but not anything that really detracts from his art. When he sings "Vivo" or "millionaria," his voice sounds great. He can up his volume without his voice becoming out of control (no bleating here!). The high note on "la speranza" seems well hit, with power behind it. This is not another "light voiced" tenor.
"E Lucevan le Stelle." This classic tenor piece from Puccini's "Tosca' is also well sung. When he opens to full volume, again, the outcome is splendid. Again, some annoying mannerisms, but not an issue. His close is dramatically sung.
"Lunge da Lei. . .De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti." An affecting piece from Verdi's "La Traviata." Again, nicely sung. His voice works well with Verdi's music.
Finally, "Morgenlich Leuchtend" from Wagner's "Die Meistersinger." This shows his range in terms of roles. And this is very well and smoothly sung. The richness of his voice works well here.
So, it seems to me that Jonas Kaufmann is a fine tenor, with a welcome large voice that retains musicality. I look forward to tracking the arc of his professional singing career. . . .
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A Promising, Committed Artist with a wonderful Voice Jul 10, 2008
Large-voiced tenors are in short supply today, a phenomenon that most likely traces its origin to the vocal education system that stresses importance on the purity of tone so favored in Mozart and Handel's operas that are in such a vogue in today's classical music scene. However beautiful and well-controlled many of today's tenor voices are, this does not produce the thrilling electricity that you can get from voices that once rang full and true in a manner similar to that of the singers from an earlier part of the century like Ludwig Suthaus, Ramon Vinay, and Max Lorenz in the German wing and Franco Corelli and Carlo Bergonzi in the Italian department. Fortunately, a few stars do emerge from this low calorie vocal rubble who can prove themselves successors to the crown that has for so long been left to the hands of many a tenor who lacks not only the heft but also the imagination to apply that magical touch that place the stamp on the work of a star. Jonas Kaufmann is one such singer, and it is most fortunate that Decca took the incentive to hire this tenor for a long awaited recital CD featuring his work in a variety of repertory that not only amazes the listener with this artist's versatility, but also with his outstanding commitment.
Perhaps he is not idiomatic in every sense of the word. His work in Puccini hardly describes the plush, Italianate cushion that characterizes the work of tenors like Bergonzi, nor does his Verdi raise any flags that indicate the second coming of a Domingo or a Carreras. However, its his ability to produce a consistently charming and aesthetically beguiling interpretation of these roles outside his natural fach that makes him such an irresistible find. His voice is perhaps better suited (due to its dark, large timbre) to the more heroic German roles, but we would be poorer if we didn't hear what magic he could conjure with his singing outside roles like Walther.
A truly outstanding debut CD, and from the previews taken from the Meistersinger and Freischutz excerpts, I certainly hope to hear more from this tenor that will edge him slowly towards the roles where I believe his voice will truly shine--Siegmund, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Tristan, and Siegfried.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Well done Jul 08, 2008
Mr. Kaufmann has a nice voice, the high registrer sounds different than the low, but any way he has his own style and as result it's a good interpretation!
Well Done!!
Unique voice Jul 05, 2008
Some may not like Kaufmann's voice, but as an ex-baritone turned tenor, I really enjoy his voice. It will also be helpful to have a native German recording to share with my diction class.
|
| | |
