Customer Reviews

Ramón Vargas - L'amour, l'amour / Viotti

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr.Vargas has a true lyric tenor voice and, in pointed disagreement with Mr. Levine's otherwise excellent review, I point out that both Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera and Rodolfo in La Boheme are lyric tenor roles that were sung by such lyric tenors as Bonci and McCormack (Rodolfo). Another very important point is that we have, as opera lovers, developed a very disagreeable habit of proclaiming, through lack of historical perspective, every tenor "the greatest tenor of all-time" forgetting minor voices from the past like Lauri-Volpi, Caruso, Tucker, Gigli, etc.
With these points developed I can point out that the singing on this CD is on an exceptionally high order. Try the arias from Romeo, Lucia di Lammermoor, and La Favorita to see what I'm talking about. The top notes have, at times, almost a Bjoring like sheen and freedom (I should point out to the power nuts that Bjoring's voice was NOT LARGE)while his approach recalls the the great american tenor Jan Peerce. Bravo Vargas!!!!

It is no secret among true opera devotees that Ramon Vargas has one of more beautiful tenor voices of today. His slightly dark hued, warm lyric tenor is an instrument of rare quality. Fortunately, Vargas is able to combine this beauty of sound with intelligent phrasing and restraint. Although it was been remarked that his voice is rather small, this is a misconception. I have had the pleasure of hearing Vargas all three times he has performed at the LA Opera, once in Werther and twice in L'elisir D'amore. Although Vargas does not have the spinto power of a Domingo, he achieves plently of volume without straining his voice. Although Vargas struggles sometimes at the top, that is not because he lacks an adequate top register. Rather, it is because his voice is not particularly well suited to the heavier, higher tessitura roles. Thus, Vargas reaches the top notes demanded by Donizetti, for example, with facility, while he may sometimes struggle with a heavier Verdi aria. One can only hope that Vargas does not push his voice unwisely like a Di Stefano, whose expansion into the heavier repertoire resulted in the coarsening of that great tenor's velvety timbre. This is not to say that Vargas's voice will not change. But any change should come naturally. In the meantime, Vargas should do what he has been doing thus far, something that he seems to do better than any other tenor today.

I've been looking for a great tenor voice for some time now. Most new tenors, with a few exceptions, sound more like high singing baritones with little high frequency overtones to their voice. Pavarotti is by far the greatest tenor of our time with a beautiful upper register with high frequency overtones. But Pavarotti's overtones are not as attractive or present in his middle and lower registers. Ramon's a fairly new tenor (42 years old) that finally sounds like a tenor, because he has gorgous high frequency overtones. What makes Ramon so unique is that his overtones are consistant and beautiful throughout his entire range. If I had to discribe his voice in one word it would be "Intoxicating". His singing sounds effortless, romantic and very sensitive which touches the heart. The only thing he needs to work on is instilling more drama into the dramatic lines. With this one CD I have fallen in love with Ramon's voice. I can't wait until he is ready to do more Puccini. This CD is a MUST HAVE!

I loved his Italian song recital (Canzoni), which led me to purchase this CD. The 'Canzoni' performance demonstrated a rich, beautifully controlled voice, producing the most lovely pianissimi since diStefano in his prime; definitely a voice to cherish. While this performance shows much the same, the voice seems thinner and effortful in production during the more dramatic moments. Of course, this is probably due to the fact that his lyric voice has to push a bit to be heard over an orchestra playing full force. However, his approach to this music is dead-on, and in many cases revelatory. I look forward to many more offerings from this very talented singer.

Where there is hype there is usually no real substance. (i.e. Cura) While Ramon Vargas has been singing for more than a few years, he is only now getting the respect that he deserves. This disc should go a long way in showing the world what a great voice he is. Vargas was blessed with a naturally beautiful voice, but perhaps not as uniquely beautiful as Pavarotti's. But unlike Pavarotti's Vargas' voice is more elegant. On this disc he really shines in the French arias. For me the only better interpreter of these arias was Alfredo Kraus. Vargas' versions of the Donizetti arias I'm afraid lack when compared to Pavarotti's (esp. Duca d'Alba.) I don't think La Boheme is too heavy for him- lyric tenors are always singing it and I think Vargas'interpretation is one of the best. Vargas' high notes don't seem or sound as effortless as Pavarotti's, but whose does? Having said that, the high C in Che Gelida Manina was great. Now with an exclusive contract with RCA hopefully we can expect Vargas to be at the center of some great full length opera recordings.

Needless for me to remind, some top tenors around today come from Mexico.
Placido Domingo started off as a baritone. Vargas on the other hand is an out-and-out tenor. Yes, his voice is most beautiful in its upper register. Don't for once let those young or supposedly good looking tenors steal ALL the show. Vocally, guys like Vargas and Alvarez top the current tenor line up.
Why ask Pavarotti the question about his successor?
We know the answer ourselves - Ramon Vargas.
The new big 3 tenors? Vargas succeeding Pav, Alvarez succeeding Carerras, Heppner succeeding Domingo.
Ad finido.

This is an outstanding CD, especially for fans of bel canto. The Donizetti arias are particularly beautiful. Vargas has an elegent, fluid voice and he sings with great intelligence. His top notes ring (I do not think they sounds pinched at all) and his voice moves evenly throughout his range.I saw him in San Francisco and can only say his voice is even more thrilling live. If you can't hear him live, this CD is the next best thing. No question, Vargas is my favorite of the current tenors and well worth checking out for any fan of great singing.

I have owned this CD since it first appeared in late 1999 and have enjoyed it immensly many times. Even 11 years after its release, I find myself returning to hear Vargas over and over, especially his interpretation of "Angelo casto e bel". While I prize the entire CD collection, this aria seems achingly beautiful to me. In the last ten years or so, other tenors have released this aria on their recital discs, for example, Villazon and Calleja. As fine as those performances are, for me, Vargas is just that more satisfying. His sense of proportion, the phrasing, and the purity of the bel canto line are exemplary. I just now listened to it again, and the beauty of the piece made me sit and write this short comment. For me, it is one of the most moving performances of this aria I have ever encountered.

He must be Godsent. He has a great voice, I mainly bought this CD because of his moving interpretation of Una furtiva Lagrima, by Donizetti.

The first thing that I noticed about this recording is that Ramon Vargas does not have a "big" tenor voice. His singing is very good and so is his disction. Some of his high notes sound a little "pinched" (similar to Domingo)but he still hits them with authority. He voice is well suited for Bel Canto. He sings Donizetti's "Angelo casto e bel" with pure treasure. This is well worth buying and I do think Ramon Vargas is one of the future stars in Opera.