Verismo at it's best
James A. Holland | Las Vegas, NV USA | 03/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am amazed at the many utterly and overly negative comments posted regarding this CD.
Let me be clear about this. Jose Cura is NOT, nor will he EVER be, a lyric tenor!
It is my impression that too many reviewers of this particular CD are not quite aware of the this fact, and tend to compare Cura to other, far more lyrical tenors.
See, that's the beauty of Grand Opera. The composers wrote different operas for different voice types. Cura's voice is perhaps the penultimate spinto voice of the modern opera scene.
It is upon this very precept that I base my evaluation of this CD.
Now, on the actual CD.
With the exception of the fact that, indeed, Cura should have left the conducting to someone more qualified other than himself, this CD offers the listener the best Verismo selections available by a contemporary tenor.
In reviewing the comments regarding this CD I am reminded of the terrible critizism leveled upon the late Mario delMonaco during his lifetime.
Judging by contemprary reviews of the late Maestro, his was the worst tenor voice ever, and save for the sheer volume of his voice, and his Hollywood looks, he would never have had a career.
It wasn't until after delMonaco retired, and moreso until after his death, that the very critics that once denounced him as unworthy of his status, hailed him as one of the greatest dramatic tenors of all time!
I say this only to illustrate my point regarding the bad press this CD has received.
Having said this, Cura does an excellent job with this material.
His voice and phrasing often harkens memories of both delMonaco and Corelli, yet his interpretation is uniquely is own.
My favorite selections here are "Vesti La Giubba" from I Pagliacci, "Amor Ti Vieta" from Fedora, "Lamento Di Frederico" from L'arlesianna and "O Lola" as well as "Addio alla Madre" from Cavalleria Rusticana.
These selections highlight Curas prowess as the pre-eminent dramatic tenor of today beyond reproach.
On a final note, I often see that Cura is being hailed as Domingos' successor in both vocal quality and acting ability.
That's utter hogwash in that Curas' voice is much closer to that of delMonaco in both weight and power and acting wise, I doubt that we'll soon see another tenor as prodigiously gifted as was Domingo in that regard.
Jose Cura is a great DRAMATIC tenor folks. There's nothing lyrical about him and that's precisely why I appreciate his style and, subsequently, this CD.
"
What a waste!
montecastello | Dardanelle, Arkansas United States | 06/05/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Initially I was excited: at last, I thought, here is a voice of Del Monaco weight but with infinitely more variety and color. But upon repeated hearing, I came to the conclusion that the varied tone was often simply the result of a poorly modulated voice in which the top and the bottom blended poorly at times with the mid-range. Worse yet, his foolish decision to serve as his own conductor does not serve him well. Often, as in the Fedora aria (which should have suited his voice well) he winds up chopping off the end of phrases because of his choice in tempos or perhaps the difficulty of accompanying oneself. Many of the interpretations are mannered--a good producer or conductor could have helped him avoid these lapses of judgement. The decision to lead with Tonio's prologue (a baritone aria) is embarrasing. Although he does indeed have a baritonal-sounding tenor at times, this doesn't make him a baritone by any stretch of the imagination. As a result, the aria is not even remotely satisfactory--it requires vocal resources a tenor just doesn't have (as well as dramatic resources Cura also does not reliably offer). I'm happy to have the arias from Lodoletta and Germania in modern sound (the Marcella aria really needs another voice type) and in spite of my criticism there are moments of real beauty in Cura's voice. Yet what a pity that humility, self-discipline,and good taste were not given to him in equal parts with beauty of voice. After a month with this record I begin to long for the direct, unselfconscious if rather crude sound of del Monaco. Any number of comparably voiced tenors of the last twenty years, like Giacomini or Martinucci, who were never recorded as much as they deserved were vastly superior to Cura in musicality and self-awareness. Behold the power of a pretty face!"
Great verismo instincts, but has Cura declined since 1999?
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 04/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"On the strength of this superb CD of verismo arias, one would expect Jose Cura to have replaced Alagna as the 'fourth tenor.' He has a robust lower range, which he displays to remaarkable effect by singing the baritone aria, 'Si puo,' that raises the curtain in Pagliacci. The darkness of Cura's tone can be unsettling--I found him a strange Alfredo in La Traviata, for instance--but a lot of verismo demands powerful chest tones, and Cura has a fine tenor extension, if you think of it as that. Caruso began from a similar basis, I believe. And despite the criticisms, his conducting is quite acceptable--I doubt that anyone would have complained if the identity of the conductor hadn't been revealed on the cover.
With nothing but praise for this gorgeous recital, I'm sorry to report that Cura's promise seems unfulfilled eight years later. He hasn't made outstanding opera sets to date, although he has certainly made some glamorous DVDs. The voice has darkened further and the top notes aren't as secure. He doessn't express joy with his voice, which can make his portrayals rather somber. His dramatic flair seems subdued also. I don't keep up with every detail of Cura's career, but presently he seems overshadowed by Villazon, a much less powerful but equally artistic tenor. Let's hope the lull is only temporary."
