With his previous
CD release Arias for Rubini,
in 2007, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego
Flórez set himself a tough
act to follow. That project was not
only a respectful, loving tribute
to tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini
(1794-1854) but also a brilliant,
stylish display of Flórez’s
voice in fiendishly difficult repertoire.
So when I first set eyes upon his
latest recital offering under the
somehow vague title of Bel Canto
Spectacular, I feared I might
be in for a disappointment.
If proof were needed
that appearances may be deceptive,
then Bel Canto Spectacular
was that proof. This is not like Arias
for Rubini, which does not mean
that it is any worse or any better;
it is simply different. That said,
the high standard of musicianship
and the quality of the singing that
Flórez has accustomed us to,
is present from beginning to end,
as is the obvious care taken when
choosing the pieces for the CD. As
previously, Flórez sticks to
the repertoire that enhances his voice
and best suits his vocal ability -
the Bel Canto operas of the first
half of the 19th century
by the star composers of the day:
Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. But
Flórez does not merely choose
pieces to showcase his voice; he selects
works that are seldom seen on stage
and that have not been recorded successfully
for a long time. In consistently doing
so, he has managed to resurrect precious,
forgotten gems that are a pleasure
to hear.
The CD begins with
an aria from one of his signature
roles and with which he tends to be
associated, namely Ah! Mes amis...
Pour mon âme (the one with
the nine consecutive high Cs!) from
Donizetti’s La fille du régiment.
Flórez has sung this aria many
times and recorded it in his 2004
disc of arias by Bellini and Donizetti,
not to mention the two filmed full
productions of the opera on DVD. This
is also the aria of the notorious
encore at La Scala 2007, which brought
him as much acclaim as it did criticism;
and of the encore this year (2008)
at the Met, which was surrounded by
media frenzy, normally reserved for
movie stars. And yet, he took care
that it does not sound repetitive
or tiresome. Instead of singing the
more famous French version, Flórez
opted for the lesser-known Italian
one Amici miei, che allegro giorno!,
composed a year later, in 1840, by
Donizetti, as an Italian opera
buffa - with recitatives instead
of spoken dialogue, as is the tradition
of the French opéra comique.
Both versions premiered in the same
year: the French, in February 1840
in Paris and the Italian, in October,
at La Scala, Milan. The music is essentially
the same; the nine high Cs are all
there but the aria sounds different
in Italian.
After the above-described
introduction with a familiar aria,
Flórez moves to the really
"serious" pieces that make
one want to listen to the CD repeatedly.
In Bellini’s Finì... me
lassa!... Vieni fra queste braccia
from I puritani, he sings a
duet with Russian soprano Anna Netrebko.
The effect of Netrebko’s rich, full
soprano combined with his light tenor
is wonderful and they deliver a beautiful,
moving and passionate rendition of
music from one of Bellini’s finest
operas. It is followed by an aria
that parades Flórez’s gift:
the perfect combination of virtuosity
and beauty, which is undoubtedly what
Bel Canto intended. The aria is La
maîtresse du roi from Donizetti’s
La Favorite, an opera he has
yet to sing on stage. It is also not
the only one in this category present
on the CD; here belong as well Donizetti’s
Linda di Chamounix and Lucrezia
Borgia. There are two pieces from
Linda di Chamounix - the first
provides one of the best duets of
the album, with Italian soprano Patrizia
Cioffi whose coloratura rivals
Flórez’s and whose voice partners
his to perfection. Then he sings Linda!
Si ritirò... Se tanto in ira
agl’uomini, an aria I have heard
him sing in a piano recital with Vincenzo
Scalera, at the Barbican in December
2006. To my personal taste, the piece
sounded better accompanied solely
by piano, which allowed one to notice
all the nuances of his voice in a
clearer manner. This is not a criticism
of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana,
which is excellent and flawless throughout,
perfectly cushioning Flórez’s
singing to best effect. From the operas
he has not yet sung on stage, the
final excerpt comes from Lucrezia
Borgia: Genaro’s aria Partir
degg’io... T’amo qual s’ama un angelo,
a touching but powerful declaration
of love, full of emotion. It is beautifully
delivered by this still young tenor
who does not cease to amaze.
Also worth mentioning
are two pieces from Donizetti’s L’elisir
d’amore: a solo aria and a duet
with Polish baritone Mariusz
Kwiecień; another duet
with wonderful Italian mezzo-soprano
Daniela Barcellona from Rossini’s
Il viaggio a Reims, and, last
but not least, the duet with Plácido
Domingo from Rossini’s Otello.
From L’elisir d’amore, Flórez
sings an aria, which again, as Ah!
Mes amis..., he has previously
recorded and sung countless times,
particularly in live recitals and
concerts: the famous Una furtiva
lagrima. Yet he manages to make
it sound fresh, almost as if one is
hearing it for the first time. This
is achieved by introducing subtle
variations, possibly composed by himself,
as I know he enjoys doing and has
done for other pieces. You can also
hear this, for example, in the two
demanding Idreno arias in Rossini’s
Semiramide, present respectively
on two of his previous CDs: Rossini
Arias and Great Tenor Arias.
The other piece from L’elisir d’amore
is the duet with great Polish baritone
Mariusz
Kwiecień who possesses a beautifully
rich, deep but clear tone that offers
a wonderful contrast to Flórez’s high
tenor and provides much enjoyment.
The duet with Daniela Barcellona from
Il viaggio a Reims is yet another
treat and a wonderful display of two
contrasting voices that harmonise
extremely well. Barcellona’s deep,
expressive mezzo, which particularly
in its lower register sounds more
like a warm, smooth contralto, combined
with Flórez’s crystalline,
ringing high notes create an extraordinary
effect in a duet of great beauty and
rare accomplishment.
Finally, there is
the so-called ‘bonus track’. This
is a duet with no less than living
legend Plácido Domingo. At
present, he probably is the best known
opera singer in the world; if not
for the roles that made him famous,
then for the concerts of "The
Three Tenors", together with
his compatriot José Carreras
and the late Luciano Pavarotti. That
Domingo agreed to sing a duet with
Flórez on the latter’s CD is
an acknowledgement not only of the
Peruvian’s talent but also of his
current star status in the world of
opera. This duet is to my mind the
most marvellous treat of the album.
It is wonderful to hear the old master
tackle a piece, which was not part
of his usual repertoire. Domingo was
celebrated for his Otello but his
was Verdi’s Otello, a more
intensely dramatic role with a completely
different style of music than that
of Rossini’s. There is perhaps a little
strain present, on one or two occasions,
in Domingo’s voice in its highest
register but it is hardly noticeable.
He is undoubtedly a fabulous tenor;
one of the true greats. The
mature beauty of his voice, so different
in style and range from that of Flórez’s,
harmonises perfectly with his younger
colleague’s youthful, sparkling, liquid
tone, creating a duet that is a delight
to the ear.
Bel Canto Spectacular,
as a concept, is not as successful
and striking as Arias for Rubini,
however it once again demonstrates
Flórez’s flawless singing.
The arias he performs in this latest
CD show off not only his incredible
athletic vocal prowess but also his
brilliant impeccable legato
technique, crystal clear diction,
refined shaping of the musical phrases
and warm tone with the right level
of sentiment. Combined, these attributes
make his voice unique and at present
unmatched in today’s opera world.
He excels in all the arias but is
also the perfect partner in all the
duets. These sound throughout as accomplished,
experienced partnerships and not as
a fight for supremacy between two
voices, as can sometimes happen.
In Bel Canto Spectacular,
Juan Diego Flórez manages yet
again to produce thoughtful work,
with musical integrity. He makes a
strong case for listening to Bel Canto
operas, demonstrating that they are
as worthy, beautiful and fantastic
as the nowadays more popular dramatic
repertoire of Verdi and Puccini. So
if you love Bel Canto at its best
and are an admirer of Flórez’s
fabulous voice, forget the somewhat
unnaturally staged photographs of
the CD booklet, forgive him the unimaginative
disc title and run to the next CD
shop or website to buy this pleasing
and fulfilling piece of enjoyment.
Margarida Mota-Bull
Juan Diego Flórez (tenor) 
