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The Telegraph, 26 Apr 2013 |
By John Allison |
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Konzert, Royal Festival Hall, London, 21. April 2013 |
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A fresh dawn for Verdi? - Jonas Kaufmann, at Royal Festival Hall
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In the Italian composer's bicentenary year, Jonas Kaufmann seems to be heralding an exciting new age of Verdian singing, says John Allison. |
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Verdi and Wagner were scrupulously balanced in Jonas Kaufmann’s rapturously
received Festival Hall concert (the night before the star tenor was voted
best male singer at the inaugural Opera Awards). Even without a fully
Italianate instrument, Kaufmann’s honeyed, warm tone makes him exceptional
in Verdi, and he opened the evening with an account of Rodolfo’s “Quando le
sere al placido” from Luisa Miller that found space for intimacy and
reflection.
Not for the first time with Kaufmann, some of this
expression comes at the expense of long, unbroken lines, so crucial to
Verdian style. With more idiomatic accompaniments this might have mattered
less, but the Philharmonia under Jochen Rieder was on plodding form, and
only marginally better in the Wagner.
But Kaufmann’s refined artistry
shows that even without the leather-lunged Verdians of half a century ago,
today’s stars can stake their claim on the composer.
And because
Verdi’s music grew out of the bel canto period, now that the bel canto
revival is assured – Bellini and Donizetti are attracting some of today’s
finest singers – it may be that we are approaching a new age of Verdi
singing.
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