Bel Canto at its finest

CD review
Bel Canto Spectacular - Juan Diego Flórez




First of all I'd like to give you a clear image on Bel Canto (ital. Beautiful singing). It's sort of a singing techinique from Italy, that one can find in almost every italian opera. Specially in operas from late 18th Century to Verdi. Nowadays singers and singteachers all over the world agress that Bel canto subjects:

• an impeccable legato production throughout the singer's (seamless) range,
• the use of a light tone in the higher registers,
• an agile, flexible technique capable of despatching ornate embellishments,
• the ability to execute fast, accurate divisions,
• the avoidance of aspirates and a loose vibrato,
• a pleasing, well-focused timbre,
• a clean attack,
• limpid diction, and
• graceful phrasing rooted in a complete mastery of breath control. - According to Wikipedia

On the front cover stands the main event; the peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, one the greatest bel canto singers of all time and he's ready to enter the stage. This man can handle unhuman coloraturas and he's the prime interpreter of the works of Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti.
The tracks on this album are either arias or duets from these composers. In the first track (Ah, mes amis from Donizetti's La fille du regiment) Mr. Flórez reaches the high C nine times.
He's got backup by the beautiful russian soprano Anna Netrebko in a slightly more beautiful duet from I Puritani. The ever so magnificient Una furtiva lagrima develops into a whole different aria.
Plácido Domingo sings a duet from Rossini's Otello. It's a tremendous blend of music.
I recommend this album with all my heart, as well does Mr. Flórez. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXm5hBPLCdo