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Operawire, July 25, 2017 |
Alan Neilson |
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Verdi: La forza del destino, Bayerische Staatsoper, 19. Juli 2017 |
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Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros Dominate In A Personal Narrative Encapsulated In A Far Larger Context
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Auszug: |
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... As Ardent As They Come
So much has been written
about Jonas Kaufmann over the past few weeks, following his widely praised
role debut as Otello, that expectations are running high. No doubt the crowd
outside the theater looking for tickets are, in part, a testament to his
star status. As Alvaro, Kaufmann is required to make a full-blooded stage
entrance, with no time for a few warm up lines, and launch into the duet,
“Ah per sempre” with Leonora, which is in turns ardent, suspicious and
imploring. Of course, this was not a problem for Kaufmann, who is guaranteed
to bring energy and a high level of intensity to his singing, and sounds
best when singing at full throttle. He immediately began to sweep Leonora
off her feet. The two have a natural chemistry and their voices complement
each other beautifully, although at times their physical coordination seemed
a bit wooden as they struggled to move in tandem. Kaufmann possesses a dark,
rich, warm timbre with a particularly appealing lower register. His phrasing
is delicate and nuanced. His dynamic control masterful.
If, however,
you had to select one adjective to describe his performance as Alvaro it
would have to be ardent. He really did come across as the archetypical
tenor; passionate and insistent, courageous and energetic, and physically
looked the part with long flowing hair and solid physique. Notwithstanding
his many qualities, Kaufmann did not appear to be in top vocal form. His
upper register showed occasional signs of stress and his transitioning
between registers sounded a little awkward. These were minor blemishes,
however, and did little to detract from a very exciting performance. His
acting was magnificent in the scenes requiring a high level of intensity.
This was particularly notable in the scenes when Alvaro and Carlo confront
each other, but overall he tended to be one-paced and lacked variation;
whether fighting Carlo or on the threshold of death after being wounded we
were presented with the same ardent, intense and energetic Alvaro....
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