BWW Reviews Recordings: Trebs, Jonas and the Bicentennial Boys

Two-thirds into the bicentennial year of both Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi, the recordings marking the occasions keep coming. Even in a crowded field, recent disks from two of today's major singers, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, are both treats--making strong cases for the music as well for themselves as artists.

Anna Netrebko: Verdi

What's Anna Netrebko doing, fooling around with L'ELISIR D'AMORE, when she has Lady Macbeth in her? That's the takeaway, for me at least, from her new CD, Anna Netrebko: Verdi (DG 479 1052), which starts off like gangbusters with several arias as Lady M, including the sleepwalking scene. The dark colors of her voice in "Vieni! T'affreta!" for one, are electrifying and the aria shows off her talents as a singing actress. On the more mellow side, "Tu che la vanità," Elisabetta's moving aria from DON CARLO, was particularly fine and I found her drama in the "Miserere" from IL TROVATORE quite exciting.

Head for all-Verdi

There's no explaining the inner lives of divas, I guess. But with a voice like hers she should be leaving behind those bel canto operas that don't show her off at her best and head for all-Verdi-all-the-time. Of course, I'm exaggerating, but only somewhat. (I can't imagine her as Gilda, for example, and I'm happy to hear her in her native Russian.)

I've sat through I PURITANI (long before the birth of her son, when her voice officially started to "darken"), ANNA BOLENA and, most recently, L'ELISIR D'AMORE, waiting for her to warm up. Eventually, she did and sounded wonderful--but it was a long slog up to then. I like her better in Verdi, even on the less successful tracks, than in Bellini and Donizetti, which call for more coloratura thrills than she can muster. (I'm not in the majority here, I admit.)

The Teatro Regio Torino, under maestro Gianandrea Noseda, did an admirable job accompanying Netrebko, but she's obviously the main attraction--and well worth the price of admission.

Jonas Kauffman: Wagner

The first time I heard Jonas Kaufmann was in the Metropolitan Opera's Zeffirelli production of LA TRAVIATA. I'd gone for Angela Gheorghiu and Kaufmann was the bonus, I'd thought--until he opened his mouth. I was immediately taken with the rich, baritonal quality of his tenor, which reminded me of Domingo. It's the tenor of his, well, tenor, that always catches me by surprise, whether in Verdi, Gounod or Wagner. For me, those colors in his voice--along with his secure high notes and dramatic ability, naturally--are what make Jonas Kauffman: Wagner (Decca 478 5189) so outstanding.

Tenor. Cap T. Period

This is not a simply a Verdi tenor, a French tenor or a heroic Wagner type, but a Tenor. Cap T. Period. You never have to worry: Will he hit the note? Will he sound like he means it? Will he be at home in this repertoire? The answer to all is YES. Kaufmann is one of the special singers--Joan Sutherland comes to mind--whose sound comes so naturally that it becomes an extension of the speaking voice rather than something that appears to be put across through technique.

Music from his gut

That said, he's one of those singers you can't get enough of in Wagner, whether in the high-def broadcast of LOHENGRIN from La Scala, live at the Met in PARSIFAL or on this disk. Kaufmann seems to know this music on a very basic level--from his gut. He sings as if he understands the characters Wagner has drawn all too well and becomes one with each of them, whether in the opening selection from SIEGFRIED ("Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater," the sword monologue) as he cries out, urgently, "Wälse!" or in Siegmund's gorgeous soliloquy from DIE WALKURE, singing of his love for Sieglinde. "In fernem land" from LOHENGRIN is filled with poignancy and heart.

An elegant prayer

His TANNHAUSER scene is wonderful, as is his elegant performance of the prayer from RIENZI ("Allmächt'ger Vater, blick herab"), though he probably isn't ready to tackle these roles on stage. But, give him time. He has a long career ahead of him. As for the Wesendonck-lieder, which close the recording, I can't say that I'm a devotee. But in these songs, usually sung by a soprano, I will admit that Kaufmann makes as strong a case for them as anyone I've heard. His baritonal sound and ability to modulate his high notes make a big impact here.

Conductor Donald Runnicles, an acclaimed Wagnerian, brings out an intensely dramatic performance from the Chorus and Orchestra of the Deutsche Opera Berlin in this demanding music. They help make the Wagner outing by this fine, thoughtful singer worth listening to, again and again.

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