Gramophone Awards 2011
 
 
Video and article from the awards issue

 
Recital
Winner
Jonas Kaufmann "Verismo Arias"
These days, for a solo vocal album to stand out it usually has to find a niche. It's not enough to just have a famous singer traverse the repertoire familiar from umpteen previous like-minded recitals. In this there is something rather gloriously old-fashioned about Jonas Kaufmann's latest. Yes, it has the theme of verismo, and there are some rarities in the playlist. But its great strength, and the reason people will buy it, is simply this - a great singer-actor at his peak, singing very, very well. "Kaufmann has entered this world completely", wrote Gramophone's Mike Ashman in his review. "His Italian is good. He is never afraid to sing softly - and does it most beautifully - and there is plenty of power when needed.. .A perfectly recorded and stunning recital."

INTERVIEW Jonas Kaufmann
When I was a student and listened to the records of Domingo, Corelli and many others, I used to think, "Man, it must be awesome to be able to sing that stuff?" And it is. When Tony Pappano and I put together the programme, we agreed that the album should include some arias and scenes which are not so well known as well as familiar warhorses.
The sessions in Rome, in March last year, were a sheer pleasure. I felt that with Tony and that orchestra taking part, the whole project was under a lucky star from the outset. It didn't seem like hard work to us; we just had fun putting it all together. Once we got a scene in the can, we were laughing and hugging each other, feeling as happy as little kids.






 
 
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