Great Tenor Arias sung by Jean Diego Florez

by | Jun 1, 2005 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

Great Tenor Arias – Juan Diego Florez, Tenor – The Giuseppe
Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan, Carlo Rizzi, Conductor – Decca 475
6187 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD, 58 min. ****:

Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez is rapidly carving a niche for himself
as one of the truly spectacular singers of our time; this disc – his
third solo recital, differs from his previous two releases in that it
offers more of a variety of chosen arias. We not only get more familiar
arias from Rossini (undeniably his specialty) and Donizetti, but also
selections from Verdi and Puccini, along with a less frequently
performed work by Cimarosa. He dabbles here in the French oeuvre as
well, offering selections from Gluck and Halévy. Perhaps he wanted an
opportunity to stretch out from the Bel Canto works that have formed
the core of his repertory, resulting here in a disc that, while
immensely entertaining, is perhaps not entirely as artistically
successful as his previous forays into Rossini, Donizetti and Belini.

The recording is excellent; as with most of Universal’s opera discs,
the original sessions were recorded in 24/96 PCM that was transferred
to DSD. I did most of my listening in the multichannel mode, although
the stereo layer of the disc is top-notch as well. The results are
superb, as always; Florez’ beautiful voice is firmly anchored in the
center channel and the orchestra is displayed across a broad and deep
soundstage. Conductor Carlo Rizzi and his forces provide superb, if
somewhat subdued, support here – actually, the accompaniment suits the
selections well, and allows plenty of room for an artist in his prime
like Florez to display his obvious talents. Very highly recommended!

— Tom Gibbs
 

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