RECORDING OF THE MONTH
The Young Alfredo Kraus - Arias and Songs: 1958-1962
Full track-listing at end of review
Alfredo Kraus (tenor)
Orquesta de Camera de Madrid; Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid/José Luis
Lloret, Mario Cordone, Enrique Estela
rec. 1958, 1962, ADD
Booklet notes in German and English
PREISER RECORDS PR93482 [74.21]
To grasp the full meaning of Alfredo Kraus’s artistry, it may be a good
idea to relate a small but significant episode. Several years ago, in November
2005, as part of the research for a novel, which I was then writing, I interviewed
Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez. One of the things I asked him was
whether there was a singer that he looked up to as his role model. He replied
without hesitation: “Alfredo Kraus. I look up to him.”! I was
surprised. Somehow, I had expected him to say Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps because
of the easy high notes. However, for Flórez, it was really the only
logical singer to name. If one observes in detail Flórez’s vocal
technique, beauty of tone and refined phrasing and then, listens to Kraus
it becomes obvious why he had to be Flórez’s role model.
Alfredo Kraus (1927-1999) was thetenore di grazia of his generation.
He sang with grace and elegance, possessed easy high notes but also made anything
he sang sound truly beautiful, which is what bel canto is all about.
Kraus boasted a masterly vocal technique but, perhaps most importantly, his
knowledge of his own abilities and limitations never led him to overextend
himself. In a perfectly managed career, he achieved an unusual degree of consistency
and longevity. For example, at seventy, he was still capable of singing a
high C and a high C sharp. The admirable top extension of his voice was one
of his most famous assets but his refined phrasing, the warmth of his tone,
his beautifully balanced legato line, as well as his undeniably elegant
style, were all equally admired, particularly at a time when most tenors had
neglected these artistic qualities. Naturally, he is not unique in terms of
the easy, spectacular high notes - in that sense, he was probably eclipsed
by the flamboyant Luciano Pavarotti - but no other tenor of his generation
was capable of expressing such a degree of delicate, well-judged sentiment.
His performances had a grace that would forever remain in one’s mind.
Kraus excelled particularly in the bel canto repertoire of the first
half of the 19th Century - Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. This
was what best suited his voice but he proved his versatility and sang many
other roles from 1961/62 onwards. His Mozart, for example, was certainly one
of the most beautiful I have ever heard and his celebrated portrait of the
title character in Massenet’s Werther became a legend. It was
not the only one. In 1958, he appeared with Maria Callas in Verdi’s
La Traviata, in Portugal’s capital city. The impact of Callas
and Kraus was so great that this particular production passed into the realms
of history as the “Lisbon Traviata”. Then, in 1959, he sang for
the first time the role of Arturo from Bellini’s I puritani.
Like Werther years later, he made it his own becoming his signature.
Interestingly enough when he began studying music as a teenager, he had no
intention of becoming a singer. Luckily for audiences then and listeners today,
his family and friends encouraged him to do so. He was perhaps the only tenor
that understood the true meaning of bel canto in the fifties and sixties.
So, this CD featuring many arias and songs from the peak of Kraus’s
powers (1958-1962) is very welcome indeed.
The Young Alfredo Kraus, as this recording is adequately named, begins
with a lovely rendition of Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön from
Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. This is followed by the equally
engaging performance of Se il mio nome from Rossini’s Il barbiere
di Siviglia. Then we have a succession of arias from some of Donizetti’s
most celebrated operas: L’elisir d’amore,Lucia di Lammermoor,La
favorita and Don Pasquale; each delivered with impeccable vocal
technique, elegant phrasing and easy high notes. This is followed by Bellini’s
A te, o cara from I puritani - my favourite in this collection.
This requires delicate sentiment, elegance, easy high notes and very elegant
phrasing. Kraus’s rendition is very near perfection! It is beautiful,
moving and warm. I was close to tears by the time he had finished.
After these first nine tracks of almost unsurpassable beauty we are treated
to a slightly more diverse repertoire: from Meyerbeer to Gounod, Verdi, Bizet
and even Cilea. Each aria is sung with the same vocal quality that he demonstrated
in Mozart and the bel canto pieces. Of the second half of the programme,
I particularly enjoyed Mi par d’udir ancora from Bizet’s
Les pêcheurs de perles (here sung in Italian) and a selection
of arias from Rigoletto, including the inevitable La donna è
mobile, which is extremely well sung. We end with three well known songs
from Leoncavallo, Ponce and Serrano; all charmingly delivered.
The recorded sound of The Young Alfredo Kraus is of excellent quality
throughout, clear and properly cleaned of all the static. Tonzauber, in Vienna,
did an exemplary job. The booklet contains some interesting notes about Kraus,
his life and career, both in German and English. There are no texts of the
sung pieces.
I enjoyed this CD immensely. The young Alfredo Kraus should please
anybody who loves exceptionally good, gorgeous singing. If you have never
heard Alfredo Kraus sing, you are missing something and this recording is
just perfect. If you have, then, it really does not matter. This is still
a wonderful addition to any collection, to be cherished and listened to over
and over again.
Margarida Mota-Bull
(Margarida writes more than just reviews - check it online at www.flowingprose.com)
To be cherished and listened to over and over again.
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Full Track-Listing
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835) A te, o cara(from I Puritani),
recorded in 1958
Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
Georges BIZET (1838-1875) Je crois entendre encore(from
Les Pêcheurs de Perles), recorded in 1958; sung in Italian, Orquesta
de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950) È la solita storia 'Lamento di
Federico' (from L'Arlesiana)
recorded in 1962, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid/Mario Cordone
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848) Una furtiva lagrima (from L'elisir
d'amore), recorded in 1958, Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José Luis
Lloret; Una vergine, un'angel di Dio, Spirto gentil ne' sogni miei
(from La Favorita), recorded in 1958, Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José
Luis Lloret; Com'é gentil …Tornami a dir, Povero Ernesto ...
cercherò lontano terra (from Don Pasquale), recorded in
1958, Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret; Fra poco a
me ricovero ...Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali (from Lucia di Lammermoor),
recorded in 1962, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid/Mario Cordone
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893) Quel trouble inconnu me pénètre
… Salut! Demeure chaste et pure (from Faust), recorded in
1958 (sung in Italian), Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid/Mario Cordone
Ruggiero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919) Mattinata - L'aurora di bianco
vestita, recorded in 1958
Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/Enrique Estela
Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791-1864) Plus blanche que la blanche hermine
(from Les Huguenots), Mi batte il cor … O paradiso (from
L'Africana), recorded in 1958; (sung in Italian), Orquesta de Camera
de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd
schön (from Die Zauberflöte), recorded in 1958, Orquesta
de Camera de Madrid/Mario Cordone
Manuel PONCE (1882-1948) Estrellita, recorded in 1958, Orquesta
de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Se il mio nome (from Il Barbiere
di Siviglia), recorded in 1958,
Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
José SERRANO (1873-1941) Te quiero morena (from El
Trust de los Tenorios), recorded in 1958,
Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José Luis Lloret
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Questa o quella, La donna è mobile
(from Rigoletto), recorded in 1958, Orquesta de Camera de Madrid/José
Luis Lloret; Ella mi fu rapita! (from Rigoletto), recorded in
1962, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid/Mario Cordone