Verismo Arias Various
Jonas Kaufmann; Chorus and Orchestra of the Santa Cecilia Academy, Rome / Antonio Pappano Decca Classics 4782258

These days, for a solo vocal album to stand out it usually has to find a niche. It’s not enough to just have a famous singer traverse the repertoire familiar from umpteen previous like-minded recitals. In this there is something rather gloriously old-fashioned about Jonas Kaufmann’s latest. Yes, it has the theme of verismo, and there are some rarities in the playlist. But its great strength, and the reason people will buy it, is simply this – a great singer-actor at his peak, singing very, very well. “Kaufmann has entered this world completely”, wrote Gramophone’s Mike Ashman in his review. “His Italian is good. He is never afraid to sing softly – and does it most beautifully – and there is plenty of power when needed…A perfectly recorded and stunning recital.”

Read full Gramophone review