Author: CURA,JOSE

PartNumber: 4 3 00018838

Release Date: 24-10-1997

Details: Amazon.ca The Argentinian tenor José Cura took nine days in summer 1997 to record these 21 Puccini arias, which is about par considering there are rarely more than two in any opera. Counting Il Trittico (the trilogy of Il Tabarro, Gianni Schicchi and the all-female Suor Angelica) as one, all ten Puccini operas are represented. They follow in reverse order of composition starting with the unfinished Turandot of 1924 and finishing with the youthful Le Villi of 1884. The order enables the disc to begin with Cura's inspirational power-singing in "Nessun Dorma", where he manages to generate genuine lump-in-the-throat passion despite the unromantic recording venue of London's Air Studios. He is meltingly tender in caring-sharing Rodolfo's "Che gelida manina" in La Bohéme, heart-rendingly final in Pinkerton's insincere "Addio fiorito asil", and sobbingly distraught in Des Grieux's "Vedi son Io" where he whacks out a terrific speaker- rattling top C. Other tenors rely on the heroic quality of their voices to render them handsome, but not Cura as the centrefold in the entertaining booklet reveals. The Philharmonia, living up to its original function as a recording orchestra, is conducted unjealously by Cura's fellow Latin-American tenor Plácido Domingo. --Rick Jones Product Description José Cura

UPC: 706301883822

EAN: 0706301883822

Model: 4 3 00018838

Languages: English

Binding: audioCD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood