German tenor Jonas Kaufmann
came on the scene in the mid-1990s and has gradually risen to the top
rank of the operatic world. His is a remarkable voice in many ways. Like
Plácido Domingo,
to whom he is a sort of German opposite number, he excels in both
Italian and German opera and also sings well in French and English (in
an odd performance of a piece from Weber's Oberon, track 17). He adds freely dramatic shaping to lines of the big Verdi and Puccini
tunes, almost always defamiliarizing them in ways that seem personal
and passionate, with a bit of vocal gravel applied at just the right
moment. Kaufmann has done his part to rediscover a languishing repertory, in his case
verismo opera from around the turn of the century, and this Best of Jonas Kaufmann collection may be worth the price simply for the little-heard Ombra di nube of Licinio Refice
(track 15). The collection represents a good mix of standards and
innovative thinking. And, through it all, there's the kind of power that
just doesn't come along often. It took a while for general listeners to
wake up to the fact that Kaufmann
is close to the best out there. This collection draws on recordings
made between 2002 and 2010, with a variety of orchestras that are all
completely overshadowed by Kaufmann's
vocal artistry. It's a fine place to start with a singer well on his
way to becoming a household name like the great voices of the past. (James Manheim)
