Few classical artists command as much star power as tenor Jonas Kaufmann, and his new album of Puccini love arias is practically made to mint cash. Less obvious but equally notable are Beethoven from the Calidore String Quartet and French piano works from Fazil Say.
“Puccini: Love Affairs”
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Pretty Yende, soprano
Anna Netrebko, soprano
Sonya Yoncheva, soprano
Malin Byström, soprano
Asmik Grigorian, soprano
Maria Agresta, soprano
Asher Fisch, conductor
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Sony
Puccini. Kaufmann. Netrebko. Grigorian. Yoncheva. What more needs to be said? Yes, this album is made to mint cash, but Kaufmann is at the top of his game, and the star-studded cast of sopranos all sound as lovely as one would expect. As a guilty pleasure of Puccini indulgences, this is guaranteed to satisfy your operatic sweet tooth.
Beethoven: The Middle Quartets
The Calidore String Quartet
Signum
Beethoven’s late quartets usually get all the praise, but his middle quartets are equally tremendous. The excellent Calidore String Quartet released a strong first volume of Beethoven in February — beginning, interesting, with the late quartets — and now the ensemble turns to Ops. 59, 74, and 95. We might wonder what could possibly be gained from recording yet another cycle of Beethoven quartets, and yet every time we listen, we hear something new.
“Oiseaux Tristes”
Fazil Say, piano
Warner
Turkish pianist Fazil Say explores the delicate French keyboard music of Couperin, Debussy, and Ravel in this album with a title, taken from Ravel’s “Miroirs,” that translates to “Sad Birds.” As summer recedes in the Northern Hemisphere and the weather cools, with leaves turning brown and skies growing cloudy, this album serves as a perfect soundtrack to accompany the autumn mood.
