Il Mio Canto
Saimir Pirgu (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Speranza Scappucci
rec. 2015, Orchestra Hall, Teatro dell'Opera, Florence, Italy
Sung texts provided with English translations
OPUS ARTE OACD9041D [62.51]
Lyric tenor Saimir Pirgu recorded his first solo album
Angelo Casto e Bel over a decade ago with a repertoire of mainly
Italian baroque, Mozart and Donizetti. For Il Mio Canto Pirgu turns
to the romantic repertoire.
A name possible new to many, Pirgu, Albanian by birth and Italian by adoption,
has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards and has been acclaimed
by no less than Plácido Domingo. The 34 year old has sung a number of roles
at La Scala, the Paris Opera, the Royal Opera House, San Francisco and Los
Angeles opera-houses, the New York Met, Zurich, Berlin and Bavarian state
operas.
Any such recital inevitably invites comparison with the likes of Gobbi, Bergonzi,
Pavarotti and Carreras which may seem unfair but their fame still sells recordings
today. Pirgu is nowhere near that elevated league and neither is he close
to the most famous contemporaries on the current scene namely Kaufmann, Villazón
and Florez. Nevertheless Pirgu is still worthy of attention. Where does he
rank today? Well, he approaches the group of lyric tenors headed by Ramón
Vargas, Marcelo Álvarez, Vittorio Grigolo and Joseph Calleja, all fine singers
of an Italianate quality and much loved by audiences.
With a bright voice that combines commitment, energy and lyric expression
Pirgu excels with an especially impressive high register. From my experience
most of the top houses would be delighted to engage a tenor of this ability
for the right production. On the other hand his occasional unsteadiness and
shortage of tone colour can be disappointing. Sometimes remarked upon is Pirgu’s
vibrato which although conspicuous I don’t find invasive. Nevertheless
there is a faint coarseness to his tone. From Cilea’s underrated verismo
L’arlesiana the much adored aria È la solita storia del
pastore (Federico’s Lament) sits ideally in Pirgu’s
tessitura ensuring that the torment of the heart-broken character
is deeply-felt. Another highlight is Rodolfo’s love song Che gelida
manina from Puccini’s La Bohème. Here Pirgu is in serious
character affording deep concentration although ideally he requires additional
vocal colour. In Gounod’s cavatina Salut! Demeure chaste et pure
from Faust the tenor demonstrates his comfort with the high tessitura;
soaring easily to the high C. Tombe degli avi miei … Fra poco a
me ricovero from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor is another
aria ideal for displaying Pirgu’s ease in the top register.
His delivery in Roméo’s love song L’amour … Ah! lève-toi
soleil! from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette feels slightly
pinched at times yet the aria is captivatingly sung. Not entirely successful
is the aria Di rigori armato il seno from Strauss’s Der
Rosenkavalier. Pirgu seems a tad uncomfortable with Richard Strauss’s
orchestration although the aria is designed for an Italian tenor. In spite
of passionate commitment and sung with tender expression additional tonal
variation is needed in Rodolfo’s aria Oh! fede negar potessi agl’occhi
miei! … Quando le sere al placido from Verdi’s Luisa
Miller.
Under Roman conductor Speranza Scappucci the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale
Fiorentino is in safe hands. Neat and colourful the disciplined support it
provides is sensitive to Pirgu’s requirements. The sound engineers have
provided a recording that is clear and satisfyingly balanced. Santiago Salaverri's
booklet essay provides all the basic information. I am pleased to report that
those so-important sung texts are provided together with English translations.
Marked by dramatic intensity this engaging solo collection from Saimir Pirgu
is worthy of praise but the competition is fierce.
Michael Cookson
Previous review: Ralph
Moore
Contents
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
O inferno! Amelia qui! … Sento avvampar nell’anima … Cielo
pietoso, rendila (Simon Boccanegra) [5.27]
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Che gelida manina (La Bohème) [4.57]
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893)
Salut! Demeure chaste et pure (Faust) [4.32]
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Di rigori armato il seno (Der Rosenkavalier) [2.33]
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950)
È la solita storia del pastore (L’arlesiana) [4.27]
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Lunge da lei … De’ miei bollenti spiriti … (La traviata)
[3.43]
Oh mio rimorso! Oh infamia (La traviata) [3.07]
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893)
L’amour … Ah! lève-toi soleil! (Roméo et Juliette) [3.50]
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
La mia letizia infondere (I lombardi alla prima crociata) [2.13]
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Tombe degli avi miei … Fra poco a me ricovero (Lucia di Lammermoor)
[7.48]
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
Pourquoi me réveiller? (Werther) [2.47]
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Ella mi fu rapita! … Parmi veder le lagrime (Rigoletto) [5.30]
O figli … Ah, la paterna mano (Macbeth) [3.44]
Oh! fede negar potessi agl’occhi miei! … Quando le sere al placido
(Luisa Miller) [5.43]
La donna è mobile (Rigoletto) [2.23]
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