Marcelo Álvarez: Twenty Years on the Opera Stage
Arias from operas by Giordano, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Puccini, Gomes,
Halévy, Cilea, Zandonai, Massenet
Marcelo Álvarez (tenor)
St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra/Constantine Orbelian
rec. April 2014, Studio No. 5, St. Petersburg Radio, Russia
Sung texts and English translations in booklet
DELOS DE 3472 [54:38]
Renowned Argentine lyric tenor Marcelo Álvarez debuted in 1994 with
Il barbiere di Siviglia and soon garnered international
success. This Delos release marks his 'Twenty Years on the Opera
Stage'. During a production of Verdi's
Un ballo in Maschera
at the New York Metropolitan Opera the conductor Constantine
Orbelian, after seeing Álvarez's performance as Gustavo (Riccardo),
felt "it was one of the greatest I have seen in my many years of
going to the opera". This planted the seed for this recording.
It's admirable how Álvarez has taken on a variety of roles
bel
canto, French Grand Opera and since the mid-2000s more dramatic
assignments. This CD comprises fifteen arias from fourteen operas by
nine different, predominantly Italian, composers with two French
arias. This fascinating mix of the standard and rarely heard is
greatly to my taste: operas such as Zandonai's version of
Giulietta e Romeo and Leoncavallo's
Chatterton,
Zaza and his version of
La Bohčme.
Never less than engaging, one immediately notices Álvarez's clear
focus and intelligence. His ability to colour his voice and darken
his low register is aptly demonstrated in the Leoncavallo arias
O mio piccolo tavolo from
Zaza and
Testa adorata
from
La Bohčme. As heard in the opening aria
Un di
all'azzuro spazio
from Giordano's
Andrea Chénier the tenor has a remarkable
weeping quality to his voice and a sweetness at the top. Pavarotti
had it but there have been few others. One of the French arias
Halévy's
Rachel quand du seigneur from
La Juive
confirms Álvarez's flexible vocal production and how he can quickly
move through his register with enviable control. There's also an
admirable heroic quality in his
Amor ti vieta from
Giordano's
Fedora. Also notable is the mood of restrained
passion broken by the sudden outburst in Zandonai's
Giulietta, son io from
Giulietta e Romeo.
Under Orbelian's assured control there's solid and sensitive support
from the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra which adds to the
weight of dramatic impact when needed. The recorded sound is clarity
itself with good presence; well balanced too. As expected of Delos
the booklet notes are first class including the sung texts with an
English translation. Adding to the merits of this issue there are
short descriptions of each aria placing them in the context of each
opera.
By today's standards fifty-five minutes is short measure and I really
missed the opportunity to hear two or three more arias especially
when they have been chosen with such an adventurous spirit.
This is a winning aria collection and deserves great success.
Michael Cookson
Full track-listing
Umberto GIORDANO (1867-1948)
1.
Andrea Chénier - Un di all'azzuro spazio [5:33]
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)
2.
Chatterton - Che piů mi resta [2:30]
3.
La Bohčme - Testa adorata [3:00]
Umberto GIORDANO (1867-1948)
4.
Fedora - Amor ti vieta [1:39]
Ruggero LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919)
5.
Pagliacci - Vesti la giubba [3:32]
6.
Zaza - O mio piccolo tavolo [5:05]
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
7.
Cavalleria rusticana - Mamma, quell vino č
generoso [3:44]
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
8.
Turandot - Non piangere, Liů [2:27]
9.
Turandot - Nessun dorma (3:11)
10.
La Fanciulla del West - Ch'ella mi creda [2:09]
Antônio Carlos GOMES (1836-1896)
11.
Lo Schiavo - Quando nascesti tu [4:01]
Jacques Fromental HALÉVY (1799-1862)
12.
La Juive - Rachel quand du seigneur [5:51]
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950)
13.
Adriana Lecouvreur - L'anima ho stanca [1:59]
Riccardo ZANDONAI (1883-1944)
14:
Giulietta e Romeo - Giulietta, son io [4:40]
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
15.
Le Cid - O Souverain [5:17]
