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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A few missed opportunities, but pretty good nonetheless,
By
This review is from: José Carreras: The Golden Years (Audio CD)
This is an interesting collection, and a fine introduction to Jose Carreras. His ravishing timbre and effortless high notes on the 70s recordings, in particular, will come as a big surprise to those who see him as the weakest of The Big Three. For in his heyday, Carreras was the finest tenor of his generation, and there is plenty of evidence here to back up this assertion. Sure, Pavarotti may have had push-button high Cs, but his timbre lacked the wonderfully velvet quality of Carreras' middle register. Worse still, Pavarotti has never had an ounce of Carreras' passion, preferring to sing notes rather than words. Carreras is the exact opposite. "Singing from the soul" is his stated musical philosophy, and fittingly the words mean everything to him.Just listen to what he does with the two Tosca arias on Disc One. This is Carreras at the tender age of 29. His voice has a wonderful freshness and beauty, a breathtaking legato and complete commitment to the words. In the aria E Lucevan Le Stelle he really does sound like a man about to face the firing squad. His singing here brings to mind the great interpretation by Mario Lanza, a tenor whom Carreras deeply reveres. (Both tenors shared the same conviction that opera IS musical drama, a fact that seems to be lost on the Bocellis and Alagnas of the present crop of tenors.) Other operatic highlights include lesser known arias from Werther and La Battaglia di Legnano, as well as the more familiar Vesti La Giubba. One reviewer has commented on the changes in Carreras' voice between 1978 and 1981, and yes, there is a certain tiredness on the arias from Rigoletto and Ernani, both recorded at the same session in 1981. Fortunately it was a temporary blip, and Carreras went on to record a magnificent recital album of Spanish lieder in 1984 for Philips, as well as a sensational West Side Story for Deutsche Gramaphon. Unfortunately, this collection does not include those gems, but we do have an exciting Tonight from his 1983 album of Broadway and movie standards. My biggest regret about this album is that Philips have overlooked (with one exception) all of the tenor's arias from his first - and landmark - collection of arias, recorded in 1975, as well as the best of his second operatic recital from 1979. Instead they have opted (on Disc Two, in particular) for an assortment of his lighter material - all of it pleasant to be sure, but not in the same class as the neglected arias. Equally surprising is the complete absence of arias from his superb 1977 Zarzuela album. On the positive side, this collection should at the very least whet newcomers' appetites for more of the younger Carreras.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great partial overview of an extraordinary career,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: José Carreras: The Golden Years (Audio CD)
Now a household name by being one of the Three Tenors alongside Pavarotti and Domingo, Carreras' finest recordings were actually done in the 1970s, when his voice had a brilliance and luster that few singers have equaled. Born in Spain in '46, Carreras was a child prodigy, and by his late 20s was a shining star in all the major opera houses. Tragically, in '87, he learned he had leukemia, a disease he battled and won, going on to greater fame than ever before.
Though his voice is powerful and full of beauty, those with keen ears will detect his voice losing a tiny bit of its magnificence starting in the early 80s, and one wonders if the stress and exhaustion of stardom contributed to this as well as to the illness, or whether it was because the seeds of leukemia were taking root. CD One is the operatic disc, and the two most sublime cuts are both from '76, Puccini's "E lucevan le stelle" (Tosca), and Verdi's "Forse la scoglia attinse" (Un Ballo in Maschera). Another track I adore is the heavenly Lehar "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" (Das Land des Lachelns), from 1978, and few have performed this popular piece with more loveliness. CD Two is in a lighter vein, and starts with a stupendous rendition of Ariel Ramirez' "Kirie" (Misa Criolla), sung softly and with extraordinary tenderness and artistry. There are lots of heavenly melodic Italian songs, like "O Sole Mio", and a few in English like the song made famous by Lanza (who according to the liner notes, inspired Carreras to be a singer when he saw "The Great Caruso" at the age of six) "Be My Love " (Brodszky/Cahn). The foldout insert has complete track list info and liner notes, and mention must be made of the incredible, sensitive sepia portrait of this handsome singer on the cover. Total playing time for CD One is 75'32, and for CD Two 75'47. A must for Carreras fans, and anyone who appreciates the finest in operatic voices.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great CD!,
By
This review is from: José Carreras: The Golden Years (Audio CD)
I bought this album about 2 months ago and honestly listen to it nearly every day.This is a must have CD in anybody's collection. This CD still has some of my favorite opera pieces, including my Most favorite Donizetti's "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'Elisir d'Amore and Leoncavallo's "Recitar!..Vesti la giubba" from I Pagliacci. You can also find many favorite arias in this CD from great Italian composers Paccini & Verdi. This CD is an excellent introduction to Opera for those who don't think they like Opera. I am not one of those people who will argue that Carrera is the BEST opera singer ever, but this album is one of the BEST Aria collections ever. Each track is sung with passion and meaning imbedded into the words, and the range of the man is truly remarkable. If you are interested in giving some attention to this singer, then "The Golden Years" is by far his BEST to date so I heartily recommend it. Carrera is the greatest tenor alive, even, shall I say is greater than Pavarotti. The choices of songs for this album is ones that are non very well known, but you cannot deny the greatness of Carrera's voice Carrera is an opera singer with a sweetness that has not been heard since Caruso.Listening to Jose Carrera brings beauty to opera. Whether loud or soft is not the point. His voice has a purity and gentle emotion that is spectacular.
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