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International Record Review, March 2015 |
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You Mean the World to Me |
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A
Sony CD by Jonas Kaufmann is the first I have heard from him in
the field of operetta. The menu consists of 14 arias and three
duets (with the soprano Julia Kleiter). Lehár provides most
tracks, five, but Abraham, Benatzky and Kalman are also
represented among others. There is a very good note from Thomas
Voigt, as expected. He does not, however, tell why some pieces
are sung in English. 'Gern hab' ich die Frau'n geküsst' is
caressed in half-voice by Kaufmann, as is (almost crooned in
fact) 'Hab' ein blaues Himmelbett' (Frasquita), in a translation
that does not match the original text. I was puzzled too by
Voigt's comment that Kaufmann's programme would be made up not
of insipid arrangements but the original versions of these
songs', yet there are eight items arranged and two
'reconstructions'. The selections are from the period 1925-35,
and so we hear numbers that are dance music, like 'Irgendwo auf
der Welt' from Heymann's Ein blonder Traum. Kaufmann in
unrestricted voice can be experienced in 'Freunde, das Leben ist
lebenswert' (Giuditta) before he reduces it for the middle
verses. He and Kleiter bring a nice intimacy to a duet from
Viktoria and ihr Husar by Abraham. They also sing a quick, jazzy
excerpt from Abraham's Diwanpüppchen, in which Paul Whiteman,
Jack Hylton and Richard Tauber are mentioned. Greatly in
contrast is Künnecke's demanding aria 'Das Lied vom Leben des
Schrenk' (Die grosse Sünderin), written for and recorded by
Helge Rosvaenge, in which Kaufmann's voice peals forth. The most
sheerly beautiful piece is 'Glück, das mir verblieb' from
Korngold's Die tote Stadt, endearingly sung by both artists.
Throughout the recital one hears so much colouration from
Kaufmann. Except for the orchestra covering a few words in the
Diwanpüppchen duet, the actual recorded sound should he a
touchstone.
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