The Puccini Album

This release by the celebrated German tenor Jonas Kaufmann has been attended by a good deal of controversy; Kaufmann has publicly protested the release of a rival Puccini album by Decca, drawn from earlier Kaufmann recordings. He has a point in that the Decca album does not even consist entirely or even mostly of Puccini. Here you get a well-chosen set of Puccini arias, touching on hits like "Recondita Armonia" from "Tosca" and the title track, but also bringing out worthwhile, slightly frenetic pieces from the rarely performed early operas "Le Villi" and "Edgar." Everywhere, Kaufmann continues to astonish with his sheer versatility. Opera specialists may quibble with the details, but for the ordinary fan of Puccini's dramatically expansive style there's little to suggest that Kaufmann has not been specializing in this stuff for his entire career, and that seems to happen whether he's singing bel canto opera, Wagner, or what have you. The program consists mostly of duets, and Kaufmann or his handlers choose partners who can keep up with him. The only mild complaint is with the Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano, who at times don't put the tenor quite front and center (something that may be an issue with the very live sound environment). In general, this is a major triumph from a true vocal star.