(‘Verismo’ is the shorthand name given to the style of
tune-soaked, dramatically heady, heart-on-sleeve opera which was
written around the beginning of the last century.) Verismo Arias
(Decca) is more than a mere exercise in bandwagoning, though;
it’s yet another step up for a singer who grows more exciting by
the minute.
He adapts his ringing sound with all its Wagnerian potential
to the demands of these passion-pouring Italian arias and the
result is a quivering emotional arrow straight to the heart.
He’s clever enough to know when to hold back too: there are
passages of exquisite mezza voce (lighter, more restrained
singing) among the hell-for-leather sobs and sighs. The
repertoire is pleasingly eclectic and includes a rarely
performed gem from Zandonai’s forgotten Giulietta e Romeo as
well as more popular numbers from the operas Pagliacci and
Cavalleria Rusticana.
And it gets an extra gold star for closing with the final
duet (sung with soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, soon to be playing
Anna Nicole Smith at the Royal Opera) from Giordano’s
unaccountably neglected masterpiece Andrea Chénier. With
appropriately luscious accompaniments from Antonio Pappano and
his Santa Cecilia Orchestra from Rome, it makes for verismo of
the very best.
