In an age where celebrity vocal recitals are becoming far more
common than complete opera recordings this is something special
because it showcases a very special singer. Anyone who has heard
Jonas Kaufmann’s previous recordings – see, for instance, his
first
recital disc, his
Decca
Carmen DVD or his
EMI
Madama Butterfly – or has been lucky enough to see him on
stage, such as in the
ROH’s
recent Don
Carlo, will know that he possesses a voice of rare distinction.
This disc showcases it perfectly. Unlike his earlier recital disc
the focus here is on the – often heavier – German repertoire.
It seems that in the 16 months that separated the recording of
these two recitals his voice has deepened, expanded and if anything
grown even darker than before. I often had to remind myself that
I was listening to a tenor rather than a baritone, an effect which
in this repertoire can be quite thrilling. The sheer size of the
voice is remarkable, an instrument of heft and power which he
nevertheless deploys with ultimate artistry. This makes for a
top-notch recital of repertoire that is currently ideally suited
to his voice and must surely whet the appetite for great live
performances to come.
The
Lohengrin numbers are a great opening diptych: the
gleaming string tone that begins the disc seems to grow out of
nowhere, and it is worth saying here that the recording quality
is excellent throughout, clear and luminous without being too
close. Kaufmann’s voice is ideally suited to Lohengrin, a role
with which he scored such success in Munich last summer (July
2009). Like the orchestral tone, Kaufmann’s voice begins gently,
subtly, but then grows in an inexorable trajectory towards the
climax on the revelation of his name, a long view which is very
rewarding. The farewell to the swan is gentle but suffused with
painful regret which is very moving and achieves disturbing levels
of violence towards its end.
It is wonderful to hear Tamino sung by a voice of genuine strength
and power. It makes the character feel like the regal hero he
should be when too often he is taken by a light-voiced tenor with
fair tone but little presence. The portrait aria is grand and
exciting, a genuine love-song that bursts with longing. The scene
with the Speaker is agile and engaging, with a sweet-toned Michael
Volle providing well judged contrast. The subsequent aria with
the flute is lighter and more beautiful. Kaufmann has long been
an enthusiastic advocate of Schubert’s
Fierrabras, singing
it on stage in London, Paris, Vienna and Zurich – a DVD of the
Zurich production exists on EMI. The dramatic potential in Fierrabras’s
aria is worn on the sleeve, ardent and surging, while Alfonso’s
aria from
Alfonso und Estrella flows with gentle lyricism
that befits the nature-painting of the text. Florestan was Kaufmann’s
first major German role, and the careful shading of the voice
through the long Act 2
scena reflects long experience.
The opening cry of
Gott! grows from a tiny pianissimo to
a thrilling - and seemingly endless - forte;
In des Lebens
Frühlingstagen is gentle and resigned before rising to ecstasy
in his vision of Leonore.
Kaufmann’s first Siegmund lies wisely in the future, but his security
in the lower registers make his
Winterstürme wonderfully
warm and he is not afraid to sing
piano when the score
requires it, though be warned that the orchestral cadence put
on the end sounds very odd! Parsifal was his first major Wagner
role. There is remarkable strength to the declamations that open
his Act 2 scene before moving into anguished intensity for his
meditation on the agony of Amfortas. Then the voice is appreciably
darker and more heroic for the final sequence as the enlightened,
self-denying hero steps up to become the Grail King. The excitement
of hearing Kaufmann in these roles only whets the appetite for
more Wagner in future years, though he has warned that we will
have to wait a long time for Siegfried and Tristan!
The playing of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra provides excellent
support throughout, altering their tone masterfully to reflect
the music they are playing: going straight from
Lohengrin
to
The Magic Flute it sounds as though you are hearing
an entirely different orchestra, from shimmering vibrato in the
Wagner to restrained period playing in the Mozart. The clarinet
playing in
Alfonso und Estrella is just wonderful and the
textures shimmer with spiritual intensity in the final bars of
Parsifal. Abbado’s support is assured yet unobtrusive throughout:
he knows that there is only one star on this disc and he generously
avoids getting in the way.
Only the packaging struck me as a little naff, inserting Kaufmann
into paintings by Friedrich to emphasise the German Romantic origin
of the music, but full texts and translations are also included
along with a survey of Kaufmann’s experience and expectations
in this repertoire. All in all this is one of the finest vocal
recitals to have come my way this year: it shows a vocal artist
of the highest calibre in well chosen repertoire that both showcases
his strengths and points forward to the future. Excellent.
Simon Thompson
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) 
