1 - Concertonet.com:
Giacomo Puccini:
Tosca 2 - Classics Today:
Tosca
3 - San Francisco Classical Voice:
It's Kaufmann's
Tosca 4 - The Star Ledger:
Puccini, Tosca
5 - Operamagazine.nl:
Jonas Kaufmann
schittert in intense Tosca 6 - Magyar Narancs XXIII.
évf. 21. szám:
dvd - PUCCINI TOSCA
7 - Bay Area Reporter:
Tosca
8 - The Times:
Jonas Kaufmann:
Tosca DVD 9 - Seattle Gay news:
Tenor Jonas
Kaufmann spectacular in Tosca DVD 10 - Opéra
Magazine:
De l'électricité
dans l'air! 11 - Classique News:
Kaufmann et
Hampson au sommet 12 - The Australian:
Tosca
13 - Classica:
Puccini, Tosca
14 - Opernglas:
Tosca
15 - Famiglia Christiana:
Tosca: opera
italiana d'eccellenza 16 - Classic
Toulouse:
La guerre des
Tosca a bien lieu 17 - Resmusica:
La Tosca des
nuances 18 - Opera Today:
Jonas Kaufmann as
Werther and Cavaradossi 19 - Crescendo, Belgien:
Tosca
20 - Scherzo:
UN ENORME
CAVARADOSSI 21 - NZZ:
«Tosca» aus dem
Opernhaus Zürich 22 - Giornale della Musica:
Kaufmann anche per
Puccini 23 - ConcertoNet:
Giacomo Puccini
: Tosca 24 - Opera News:
PUCCINI: Tosca
25 - Classic Voice:
Puccini – Tosca
26 - Mundo Clasico:
Inesperada
Tosca |
1
- Jonas Kaufmann is “the undisputed Cavaradossi of our time”.
With his looks and acting, the German tenor is the perfect romantic
hero. The breath line and the phrasing are above reproach, the baritonal
glow to his voice and the use of mezza voce gradually followed by
stentorian, ringing high notes are simply stunning.
2 -
Somehow, tenor Jonas Kaufmann manages to escape the show-within-show and
merely gives a fabulous performance as Cavaradossi. His big, dark tone
easily reaches the big, high notes and he can spin a pianissimo line
better than any tenor around. And he looks great as he creates a
flesh-and-blood person rather than a "character".
3 - As much as Emily Magee (Tosca) and Thomas Hampson
(Scarpia) receive equal billing, it’s the presence of Jonas Kaufmann
(Cavaradossi) in Robert Carsen’s fascinating modern update of Puccini’s
potboiler, Tosca that will draw opera lovers to this live-from-Zürich
Decca DVD. ..... ...Yet Kaufmann’s sense of Italianate style is
unquestionable, and the intelligence with which he deploys his
instrument unassailable. Most compelling is his final act aria, “E
lucevan le stelle” (And the stars shone). Awaiting execution by firing
squad, he begins his final love letter to Tosca in a virtual whisper of
a voice. To unusually slow, sensitive, and focused support from
conductor Paolo Carignani and Zurich Opera Orchestra, Kaufmann perfectly
sustains his thread of sound for almost half the aria. I know of no
other performance quite like this. If only the DVD format were
capable of faithfully transmitting the wide dynamics of his voice. By
all means, if you’re Blu-ray equipped, get that version should it
appear.
4 - As for Kaufmann, his appeal is not
just a question of rugged good lucks and his virile, grainy voice. His
tenor barrels forward with impressive volume and intensity as he endures
torture at Scarpia’s hands, but the poetic phrasing and breathtaking
piano singing in his final aria “E lucevan le stelle” (“And the stars
were shining”) are even more memorable.
5 -
De productie slaagt zo in alle opzichten. Met een extra luid
bravo voor Jonas Kaufmann. Een tenor uit duizenden.
6 -
A legjobb
teljesítményt Jonas Kaufmann nyújtja, aki szintén csak pár
hónappal korábban debütált Cavaradossiként, s attól lehetett
tartani, hogy tenorjából hiányozni fog az olaszos dolcezza és a
fény, ehhez képest leheletfinom pianókat, diadalmas fortékat
produkál, egészében pedig megkapó képest fest a
szabadsághevületében is kisfiús, szinte elveszett festő végtelen
magányáról. De nem ő a főszereplő, hanem a másik kettő.
7 - Kaufmann sings the Cavaradossi of a lifetime,
but that's almost the least of it. In the 10-minute opening of Act III,
with hardly a note to sing, he gives a performance of jaw-dropping
intensity and focus. The most ravishing "E lucevan le stelle" you've
ever heard comes perilously close to being a spell-breaker, but moments
later, when Kaufmann – no, Cavaradossi – sings "O dolci mani" to Tosca,
hearts melt.
8 - Jonas Kaufmann is so eloquent
that the deficiencies flying around him on stage vanish as soon as he
opens his mouth The German singer with the romantic curls, soulful
eyes and an excellent dark tenor voice has made a home for himself as
Cavaradossi, the painter hero in Puccini’s opera. In a month’s time
he’ll be appearing in a different production for two starry nights at
Covent Garden. This DVD, filmed at the Zurich Opera House in 2009, shows
why you might have to recruit the US Navy Seals to get a ticket.
Indeed, Kaufmann is so eloquent that the deficiencies flying around him
vanish as soon as he opens his mouth. One of them, I rush to say, isn’t
Emily Magee’s singing as Tosca. The American soprano works very hard as
the titular singer, equally in love with Cavaradossi and the limelight.
Even so, none of her flights can match Kaufmann’s for poetry or
individuality. His own chestnut number, E lucevan le stelle, often given
a right trumpeting, is sung with the half voice, pained and gentle, and
becomes reborn. Best of all, with Kaufmann’s performance you never
sense a puppet strutting, a prevailing factor otherwise in Robert
Carsen’s production, developed for Vlaamse Opera in 1991. Carsen trashes
Puccini’s carefully delineated historical context — Rome, June 1800 — in
favour of arid self-referential tricks, 1950s fashions, and a Tosca who
swans about like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner combined. Except when
Kaufmann’s singing, it’s hard to feel involved.
9 - Jonas Kaufmann is so eloquent that the deficiencies
flying around him on stage vanish as soon as he opens his mouth The
main reason to see this generally better-than-competent Tosca DVD is the
singing and acting of tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Beyond his movie-star looks,
Kaufmann is simply the best lyric/dramatic tenor singing today. His
utterly smooth use of the entire range of dynamics is unique among
modern tenors, and it is always put to musical as well as dramatic
effect. His sound is in itself thrilling & dark, baritonal, with plenty
of 'squillo' in his loud tops; yet he can also sing a perfectly
modulated piano, even on the top notes, so well focused that he can
expand it smoothly to full volume if needed. In his late 30s, he is
in his prime vocally, athletic and compelling in appearance, and able to
make scenes we have seen too often fresh and exciting. Dramatically, he
is always into the role, and it's hard to take one's eyes off of him. In
this live performance from Zurich, both of his arias are excellent and
unlike any other tenor's. In the Act One duet, he begins the line, 'What
other eyes could compare with your passionate dark eyes?' (English
subtitles) very softly and slowly so that he can build the line in an
utterly thrilling way that gives goose bumps. (We watched this DVD with
15 opera friends, and the most sophisticated of them whispered to me
that he felt like he was hearing that line for the first time ever!)
10 - Chaque attitude, chaque geste des trois
principaux personnages nous révčlent leur personnalité. L'objectif
scrute les regards (celui de Scarpia est terrifiant), les sourires (un
Mario gentiment moqueur face ŕ la jalousie deTosca, au premier acte),
les mains (on retrouve trčs exactement les jeux immortalisés par Maria
Callas, dans ses témoignages filmés du deuxičme acte ou de sa «Pričre»
gantée en concert), voire les stigmates de la torture sur le corps de
Cavaradossi. Si les voix ne sonnent pas typiquement italiennes (ce
qui n'est gučre surprenant chez un Allemand et deux Américains!), elles
se montrent irréprochables sur le plan du style et de l'accent, avec une
exigence musicale exceptionnelle, bannissant le moindre soupçon de
vulgarité. Lélégance glacée du jeu deThomas Hampson est magnifiée par un
raffinement vocal rare. On est conquis par l'ardeur virile de Jonas
Kaufmann, lançant des «Vittoria !» glorieux et commençant « E lucevan le
stelle » dans un murmure.
11 - Kaufmann et
Hampson au sommet Les hommes en revanche sont ŕ leur sommet vocal...
et scénique. Jonas Kaufmann souffle le feu et la braise dans un rôle
expressif qu'il sert avec la passion et le mesure nuancée qui le
caractérise. Qu'il ait le physique du beau Mario artiste et bonapartiste
ajoute évidemment ŕ l'aplomb indiscutable de sa performance.
12 - THERE was a time, not so very long ago, when
German tenor Jonas Kaufmann was decreed by some to be too Italian for
Wagner and too German for Puccini. It's complete bollocks, of course.
Kaufmann may not have the classic Italianate ring of a Pavarotti, but he
is an absolutely remarkable artist who has the lot, as this DVD of Tosca
amply illustrates. The opera is less than 10 minutes old before
Cavaradossi's first aria, Recondita armonia, lets you get his measure.
Kaufmann positively glows: his phrasing is flowing and luscious; there
is not a hint of strain at the top and he is thoughtful in expression,
letting you know this is just the beginning of his journey. At the other
end of the evening, E lucevan le stelle is given with restrained, aching
tenderness. It doesn't hurt, of course, that Kaufmann is super-handsome
and slender. Phew!
13 - l'admirable Cavaradossi
de Jonas Kaufmann, dont le troisičme acte ici est s'il se peut plus
réussi encore (« O dolci mani » simplement hors du monde)
14 - Allmählich wird es fast unheimlich, mit welcher
Souveränität und Überzeugungskraft Jonas Kaufmann seit geraumer Zeit
unter Stress singen kann. So auch als Cavaradossi in einem
»Tosca«-Mitschnitt aus dem Opernhaus Zürich. Sein baritonaler Tenor
klingt nicht nur groß und individuell, er besticht mit einer ganzen
Bandbreite an Klängen und emotionalen Ausdrücken. Bereits in der ersten
Arie („Recondita armonia") teilt Jonas Kaufmann gerade im
substanzreichen Piano viel mit, ohne dabei die feurigen Momente zu
vernachlässigen. Im Gegenteil: Gerade exponierte Stellen wie im weiteren
Verlauf „La vita mi costasse" oder „Vittoria!" scheint er nicht nur
mühelos mit voller Kraft zu intonieren, sondern überzeugt auch
„gesangsathletisch". Schließlich besitzt er in „E lucevan le stelle" die
berühmte Träne in der Stimme, mit der er aus dieser Arie einen traurigen
Höhepunkt gestaltet.
15 - Dalla bellissima voce di Jonas
Kaufmann, un grande classico della musica lirica con la regia di Robert
Carsen e l'interpretazione dell'orchestra di Zurigo diretta da
Carignani.
16 - Tous comme ils le sont pour le
Mario du ténor allemand Jonas Kaufmann. Si la prestation vocale est
somptueuse de phrasé et de musicalité, celui qui sait ętre un Don José
incandescent est ici littéralement absent, en particulier au premier
acte qui le voit chercher ses marques en permanence.
17 -
A ses côtés, Jonas Kaufmann campe le plus nuancé des
Cavaradossi. Certes, son « Vittoria » ne doit craindre aucun rival, mais
c’est dans les moments doux et ręveurs qu’il nous touche le plus:
lorsqu’il murmure le début d’ « E lucevan le stelle » ou qu’il attaque
son fameux « O dolci mani » dans un vrai pianissimo.
18
- Vocally, Kaufmann takes the prize. His solo pieces are
gorgeous, and he can roar out a “Vittoria” with the best of them.
19 - Inutile d’en rajouter: Jonas Kaufmann est LE
Cavaradossi idéal, comme il est le Lohengrin ou le Werther idéal.
Charmant -et charmeur- au premier acte, poignant et vibrant au second,
il crčve la scčne au troisičme (admirables E lucevan le stelle et O
dolci mani) qu’il domine entičrement.
20 -
Claro que Kaufmann es el que atrae más la atención. Con su envidiable
figura, su naturalidad como actor y su canto, mezcla de generosidad
vocal, encendido lirismo (atiéndase a Qual'occhio al mondo, por ejemplo)
y apasionados acentos, expone un Cavaradossi que nada debe al pasado y
mucho a su fascinante y arrolladora personalidad. Una voz alemana por
colorido y fuerza, manejada por un intérprete de una sensibilidad y
musicalidad mediterráneas. Impactante.
21 -
Jonas Kaufmann gibt einen leidenschaftlichen Cavaradossi mit intimem
Sotto voce.
22 - Kaufmann č il divo tenorile del
momento, per molti aspetti erede del ruolo lasciato libero da Domingo.
L'etichetta promozionale apposta alla nuova Tosca in dvd della Decca
parla chiaro: «Jonas Kaufmann's first Tosca dvd»: č la sua. presenza a
giustificare la pubblicazione. Fascinoso vocalmente e fisicamente, fa la
sua bella figura, sa stare in scena come pochi tenori di ieri e di oggi,
s'impone non per gli acuti rapinosi (che pur non mancano) ma per le
nuances, le mezze voci, la musicalitŕ del fraseggio.
23 -
Aussi ŕ l’aise que dans Wagner ou Massenet, Jonas Kaufmann en constitue
l’attraction principale, en puissance comme en suavité et en mezza voce.
24 - Nonetheless, fans of Jonas Kaufmann will
no doubt want to have this first video document of one of his most
exciting roles. Kaufmann stepped into the Met's controversial new Tosca
two seasons ago, galvanizing the cast and breathing life into a rather
lifeless affair. Here too, he transcends his surroundings, offering
spectacular singing and an interpretation that works within and despite
the direction. Occasionally, his ravishing mezza voce singing might seem
precious — the opening of "E lucevan le stelle" and "O dolci mani" —
were it not so clearly underlined by a powerful emotional connection, as
is everything he does.
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