Recorded in April 2002, this may be of interest as an update on Carreras’s voice and art; and let’s hope that some find it more reassuring than I have done. He sings now without (to my ear) special beauty or distinction of tone except at a forte on or around the very open upper E natural. Most of the songs are restricted to a range within the middle or lower part of the tenor voice, with the top G registering as an unusually high note. Whether or not the relatively slow rate and intrusive nature of the vibrations on certain notes constitute a vibrato or a beat, they don’t to my mind suit this kind of song, which needs a voice in full, fresh bloom. In a brief introductory note, Carreras writes that in selecting the programme he has ‘assumed the mantle of such great tenors as Tito Schipa, Enrico Caruso and…Giuseppe di Stefano’. Perhaps the words do not quite accurately express his meaning. The mantle of Caruso is not so easily donned.

The arrangements for instrumental ensemble at least avoid the inflated orchestral accompaniments, alien harmonies and misplaced ingenuities so often preferred. They still seem to me to underline the commonplace quality of the writing, where a skilled pianist might be more free to bring out what is best in them. Intending purchasers may care to note the short playing-time (53 minutes) and arm themselves to haggle, if necessary, for a price to match.