Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Davóne Tines, Sonya Yoncheva & Zoltán Daragó Lead New CD/DVD Releases
By Francisco SalazarWelcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world.
This week audiences will get to hear one of the great tenors of his generation alongside some of the greatest sopranos in one album dedicated to Puccini. There are also world premiere recordings of new works and one debut album. Here is a look.
Robeson
In a statement, Tines said, “This album is my most personal artistic statement to date. I’ve endeavored to compare and contrast my journey as an artist with that of my artistic ancestor and hero, Paul Robeson, the unparalleled singer, actor, and activist. Standing on his beliefs of egality for the disenfranchised led to governmental and public attacks that almost ended his life. This album is the fever dream of the universal journey to battle internal and external persecution in order to find one’s self and decide what you need to say the most now that you’ve survived.”
Bach: Arias for Alto
Zoltán Daragó makes his long-awaited album debut showcasing the countertenor in 11 arias from well-known and lesser-known cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset are featured on the album.
Puccini: Love Affairs
Sonya Classical releases Jonas Kaufmann’s latest album dedicated to Puccini featuring several duets from the composer.
In a statement, Kaufmann said, “For my latest album, I had the pleasure of collaborating with some of today’s leading sopranos to celebrate Puccini’s centenary year. What really appealed to me was recording these very different scenes and duets with different partners. With almost all of them I’ve experienced unforgettable moments on stage.”
The new album features duets from “Tosca,” “La Boheme,” “Manon Lescaut,” and “La Fanciulla del West” and Kaufmann is joined by Anna Netrebko, Asmik Grigorian, Malin Byström, Maria Agresta, Pretty Yende, Sonya Yoncheva, and the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, conducted by Asher Fisch.
Carousel
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel” gets a World première complete recording. The album released by Chandos stars Nathaniel Hackmann, Mikaela Bennett, Sierra Boggess, Julian Ovenden, Francesca Chiejina, and David Seadon-Young. The Carousel Ensembl and Sinfonia of London is conducted by John Wilson.
George Benjamin: Picture a day like this
George Benjamin’s new opera gets a world premiere recording from the Festival Aix-En-Provence. The recording features Marianne Crebassa, Anna Prohaska, Beate Mordal, Cameron Shahbazi, and John Brancy. The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is conducted by George Benjamin.
This recording was made during the opera’s first performances, as part of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, at the Theatre du Jeu de Paume, in 2023.
