Roberto Alagna - Verdi Arias (Deutsche Grammophon)
UK release date: 15 May 2006
track listing
1-2. Quando le sere al placido
3. La mia letizia infondere
4-5. Celeste Aida
6-8. O tu che l'alma adora
9-10. Ma se m'č forza perderti
11-12. Dio, mi potevi
13. Niun mi tema
14-16. O tu che in seno agli angeli
17-18. Ah, la paterna mano
19-20. Je veux encore entendre
21. Ah, sė, ben mio
22. Di quella pira
Since moving to the Deutsche Grammophon label from EMI in 2004, the tenor Roberto Alagna's recordings have been few and far between: only a DVD of Cyrano de Bergerac and a concert from Paris have been released in recent times.
Now DG has repackaged and reissued nine of Alagna's solo recitals from EMI on CD in a 'Best of Alagna' collection, including music from French and Italian operas and a Christmas album.
This Verdi Arias album is part of the series and although it's not new, the opportunity to hear Alagna at his very best is not worth missing. Arias from ten operas are included, ranging from I Lombardi in 1843 to Otello in 1887, and on the whole, Alagna emerges as a stylish Verdian. His voice has always had a distinctive quality, and when the recital was recorded in 1998, its velvet edge was undiminished.
At the time of release, the critics were warning Alagna against delving too quickly into the heavy role of Otello. On rehearing it, I can only wonder why. He sings the Act III monologue with tragic pathos, ending with a blood-curdling cry of 'Cielo! O gioia!', and the death scene is highly romantic, if less noble than in Plācido Domingo's interpretation.
The careful phrasing and amazing breath control shown in 'Quando le sere al placido' from Luisa Miller suggests that Rodolfo may be a good role for Alagna. I was less convinced by 'La mia letizia infondere' from I Lombardi and particularly the cabaletta of the aria from Ernani; the voice has a roughness and strain where it should be simple and clean. He sounds better in the French version of the aria from I Lombardi, that being his better language to sing in, generally.
An especial highlight is the impassioned selection from La forza del Destino, which has an immaculate solo from the clarinettist. Here, as throughout, the Berlin Philharmonic create a vivid operatic atmosphere for the aria, thanks to their then-Music Director, Claudio Abbado (always an imaginative conductor in the Italian repertoire).
On the basis of this performance of 'Celeste Aida' I sincerely hope that the Royal Opera House bucks up and creates a new production of the opera for Alagna. Angela Gheorghiu pops up for a cameo line as Leonora in 'Di quella pira' from Il trovatore, which is perhaps a wasted opportunity given that they went on to record the whole opera together. It is, however, a less forced account of the aria than on the later complete set.
No doubt Alagna will grow more into the role of Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera; here it lacks a little focus. But Macduff's aria from Macbeth has rarely sounded so sincere than it does here.
In general, the disc is an impressive overview of the tenor's capabilities in this repertoire, making one wish (perhaps in vain) that DG would record some complete studio recordings of the Verdi operas with Alagna in the lead.
