On his third aria collection for Decca, Juan Diego Flórez continues to stretch his repertory beyond the Rossini roles that established his solo career. But he never strays far, wisely sticking to roles that suit his light, gracious sound, and which make the most of his exhilarating top notes without requiring dramatic heft. Flórez is a truly special singer, one of the best put together young tenors around, and Great Tenor Arias shows him off to great effect.Despite the album's title, very few of the selections included are ...
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On his third aria collection for Decca, Juan Diego Flórez continues to stretch his repertory beyond the Rossini roles that established his solo career. But he never strays far, wisely sticking to roles that suit his light, gracious sound, and which make the most of his exhilarating top notes without requiring dramatic heft. Flórez is a truly special singer, one of the best put together young tenors around, and Great Tenor Arias shows him off to great effect.Despite the album's title, very few of the selections included are from the usual Tenors hit parade; only Verdi's "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto will be familiar to the casual listener. Coincidentally, that aria is the only real misfire on the album -- which is not to say Flórez sings it badly; rather, his tone is just too likable, too boyishly friendly, to capture the spirit of one of opera's most notorious bad guys. But almost every other selection on the album is spot on vocally, musically, and in character. Hearing Flórez tear into the...
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