Customer Reviews

Sentimiento Latino

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is how you do crossover: with no camp, no contrived overemoting, no cheap sentimentality, just lots of class and beautiful classical singing style. This is such perfect material for Juan Diego Florez, after all he started in such popular fare before he became an opera star. His voice sounds so natural, so elegant, but always so expressive. But above all, this album is so much fun: cool Latin lounge music, hot summer night music and sparkly bits of mariachi music all rolled into one!
Except for "Granada", which has been sung by many famous tenors, most of songs on this album are such wonderful fresh discoveries. Many Latin styles are represented, from Cuban to Mexican to Florez' native Peruvian, and they all blend in beautifully into one seductive whole. I have a few favourites, the tango "El dia que me quieras" and the opening track, Venezuelan "Alma Llanera" are among them, but there are no weak links on this album, every song is really great.
This is one of the best albums I have heard in a while, and possibly the best effort by any tenor at bridging the pop-opera gap. It's not just classical, or crossover, it's simply great music making. This relase deserves to be a huge bestseller, and I just hope querido Juan Diego will still find time to sing Rossini, because he really excells in that field, but I am totally swayed by this album. Experience this Sentimiento and feel the passion yourself!

I bought this CD on a whim while on a road trip this weekend and boy wasn't it a pleasant surprise. Juan Diego Florez brings an elegance and beauty of timbre that I have not really heard in this genre. His phrasing is impeccable and he avoids the histrionics that most tenor CD's of this type are littered with. Technically, he has always been a marvel, but this CD seems to have more heart, soul and an excellent sense of timing than any of his prior CD's (and I'm a Rossini and bel canto nut).Hope he makes more like this! Bravo!

This recording is wonderfully exquisite. As an opera singer, I have sung these songs in recitals many times and listening to Juan has been like a master class. His technique is superb. His "En mi viejo San Juan" brought me great memories and got my eyes wet. This tenor has brought so much hope to belcanto and fine singing. Thank you very much, Juan. Best wishes and thousands of blessings.

Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez here offers us his take on a good selection of mostly quite familiar Latin-American songs, some sung for decades by such varied artists as Nat King Cole and Tito Schipa. To assist him he calls upon the forces of the Fort Worth Symphony and a variety of additional musicians and groups, even adding his own bongos on one track.

This application of a fine operatic voice to the songs invites comparison with two other Spanish-language contemporaries: Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, but whereas the other two are basically Iberian, Flórez is a born and bred product of the New World. (Domingo lived 13 years in Mexico, age 8-21.) Moreover, Flórez has a strong family claim to Latin-American music, from his father Rubén and others.

For purposes of comparison I took time to revisit several of Domingo's recordings of Spanish-language songs. (Of the 15 presented here I found nine among my Domingo CDs, along with many others of a similar character.) Though I have enjoyed the Domingo performances for years, and hold them in high esteem, I greatly appreciate the fresh treatment Flórez brings us. Furthermore, I don't think he has to take a back seat in any sense to his seniors, for he brings unique gifts to the music. For one thing, he has a more naturally brilliant, ringing tenor voice than Domingo, who started as a baritone and maintains a somewhat richer, yet less brilliant tone. For another, he excels in youthful dynamism, facility, and flexibility, being praised for his bel canto work. His interpretive talents are likewise fully equal to any challenges presented here. Finally, he has also the historic advantage of a career played out in an era of advanced recording technology. (It's too bad that some of the older Domingo recordings could not have been made using today's high-quality digital techniques.)

As for the music here, a quick analysis shows that Mexico is the predominant source, with 5 songs (#2, #5, #8, #9, #15). Peru comes close with 4 (#3, #6, #10, #14), while Cuba rates 2 (#12, #13) and the rest only 1 each: Venezuela (#1), Argentina (#4), Puerto Rico (#11), Spain (#7). Flórez sings them all with "seseo" (Latin-American pronunciation in which the letters z and soft c are pronounced as English ss). (Domingo and Carreras generally prefer the Iberian pronunciation, as English th.) The distinction is not all that great, but I suspect Latin-American listeners prefer Flórez' seseo.

Overall, Flórez sings the songs very well indeed, with the classic restraint and style we expect of a concert tenor (not like a club or popular singer). I applaud this choice. If we want a club singer's rendition we can find it easily enough in a cantina, but singers like Flórez are rare and should be heard for what they are. That said, Flórez brings plenty of passion and drama to the music where appropriate, as his operatic training and experience have prepared him to do. He also sings the songs in ways suited to their varied styles and moods, revealing a high order of interpretive and artistic intelligence. The only possible faults I find in his performances are a couple of small cases where his intonation sounds a bit questionable to my ears. (The last note of "Princesita" seems a trifle below pitch in an otherwise lovely ending; likewise the last note of "Estrellita.") Regarding dynamic levels and effects, I disagree with Levine's criticism, and do not find Flórez' performances in any way lacking. In sum, I can offer only high praise for this relative newcomer to the ranks of world-class tenors and wish him a long and fulfilling career of bringing artistic delight to the millions who may hear him over the next several decades.

The musical settings here are varied, colorful, imaginative, appropriate and well-played. Mr. Gálvez distinguishes himself with brilliant guitar playing on 5 of the pieces; the entry of mariachi in "Ella" provides welcome color and authenticity. The Ft. Worth Symphony's playing is quite beautiful and often gorgeous!

The liner notes for this CD are generous in providing details on the songs, their composers, and Flórez' relationship to them, along with the original Spanish song texts and literal English translations for all songs except the very last. (In "Alma LLanera" I would have preferred the translation of "primorosa" to be something more like "exquisite" than "pristine." But the important point regarding texts and translations is that the latter inevitably miss some of the poetic artistry inherent in the original Spanish. Still, the English translations will give a good idea of the subject and character of the songs to those with little or no Spanish.) There is also a small slip in the liner notes when Mr. Farach-Colton refers to "Lecuona's Aquellos Ojos Verdes," instead of properly attributing that song to Nilo Menéndez and Adolfo Utrera, Lecuona's countrymen.

To those who prefer Domingo or Carreras, I offer no objection; tastes differ and equally sensitive ears will vary in their preferences. I do not see the world of recorded music as a zero-sum game: to enjoy Flórez does not require a disparagement of Domingo, nor vice versa. While I'm not about to give up my Domingo recordings, I will complement them with the newer recordings of Flórez, and feel myself just that much richer in aesthetic enjoyment.

What the above remarks haven't conveyed adequately, perhaps, is the utter charm and loveliness of this disk. It is a no-brainer to rate it as a five-star addition to the world of Latin-American song. If you like the songs, you should delight in these recordings.

Al Sr. Flórez digo con todo entusiasmo: Bravo! Encore!

This is a splendid recording that represents blessed synchronicity between voice and material. The singer is Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez, and the repertoire here consists of popular early-to-mid-20th century Latin American and Spanish songs. Barely in his thirties, he produces a sweet, warm sound that combines effortlessly with a youthful vigor. Florez can also conquer impressive coloratura passages with superb breath control. All these attributes have served him well in bel canto roles, and now he uses the same technique in these romantic ballads and ranchero songs.

Pedro Elias Gutierrez's "Alma llanera" opens the disc with a flavorful, syncopated arrangement that would not sound out of place at the Tropicana nightclub in Havana, while the melancholy mariachi-style horns of Jose Alfredo Jimenez's "Ella" provides a nice Mexican atmosphere. There is a trio of songs by Maria Isabel Granda Larco from his native Peru all arranged impeccably by the singer himself - the openly romantic "La flor de la canela", the more somber "Bello durmiente" and best of all, the intimate-sounding "Fina estampa" with impressive fretwork by David Galvez. Florez dares to tackle the warhorses that are Agustin Lara's "Granada" and Ernesto Lecouna's "Siboney", and while he puts out the necessary stops, the songs are a bit too familiar to have full dramatic impact. The arrangement on "Siboney" especially gets a bit too bombastic with syrupy strings and pounding jungle drums.

Better are the decidedly old-fashioned "Princesita" with Daniel Binelli's tango-infused bandoneon (an accordion-like instrument) and Maria Grever's "Jurame", which sounds almost like a Mario Lanza operetta-style number from an MGM musical. My personal favorites come near the end of the recording - the tropically tinged ballad, Nilo Menendez and Adolfo Utrera's "Acquellos ojos verdes" and Chuco Monge's "Mexico lindo" with its dramatic tempo changes. With his stunning voice, Florez has such an affinity for this music that it is easy to overlook some of the overdone arrangements. This is a solid example of how a crossover recording can be done with the right blend of talent and music regardless of what genre we expect from a prodigious singer.

Juan Diego Flórez is that dashingly handsome, gifted, audience favorite from the opera and concert stage. Creating an album such as this, he remarks: 'In opera, you have to be in control of the melody, of your voice. But if you can really let it flow, phrase it and shade it like a bolero, a tango, Latin American singers, they all have something of this. You can call it class, you can call it taste - it comes from our music, from Latin American music.'

So many opera buffs cringe when they see their favorite singers record albums of popular music, as though that deed were going to destroy their credibility on the opera stage. Some of these crossover albums push the artistic envelope into the questionable arena and the results are not pretty! But relax, fans of the bright new star tenor from Peru Juan Diego Flórez. This very satisfying foray into 'popular' Latin America songs is completely successful.

Juan Diego Flórez is an intelligent singer and has chosen a repertoire of songs that are not only worthy of recording, they also happen to lie comfortably in his range. With the assistance of Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra along with some necessary musicians along the way this album contains some truly lovely romantic pieces from composers Pedro E. Gutiérrez, José Alfredo Jiménez, Chabuca Granda, Carlos Gardel (the lord of tango with Piazolla), the infamous 'Granada' by Agustin Lara, José Padilla, Maria Grever, Manuel Ponce, Noel Estrada, of course - 'Siboney' by Ernesto Lecuona, Nilo Menendez, Jesús Monge Ramírez, and some traditional Mexican songs.

The whole recital is romantic, beautifully performed, and is a welcome adjunct to Flórez's usual bel canto emphasis. Perhaps this recording will give him entry into some of the more romantic lyric tenor roles on stage, but in the end this CD succeeds in being just pleasurable music well performed. And that is enough. Grady Harp, July 11

Sentimento Latino actually brings Juan Diego Florez back to his roots. If what I read is correct, Florez started out as a replacement singer in his mother's pub, where he sang a variety of songs, including some Elvis Presley and Latin folk songs; added to that, his father was a popular singer in Peru. It didn't take long for Mr. Florez to be noticed and today, he's one of the premiere singers in the world.

As for "Sentimento Latino" itself -- I can hardly describe how much I love this album. I listen to it over and over (and over again). In fact, I like all but one song (Fina Estampa). The rest are pure heaven. The disk starts out with "Amapola" which I have listened to scores of times. The orchestration throughout (especially the mariachi arrangement on "Ella") is wonderfully done. To hear Florez' voice soar on Mejico Lindo is to experience true joy and "Siboney" is delightfully exotic. Also, Florez presents an exquisite rendition of "Granada". I've never heard it sung better.

You CANNOT go wrong with this album. And if you're smart, you'd better check out his opera CDs too. (I'll bet if you're here, though, you already have but believe me, they are equally magnificent). One more thing -- if you like this album, check out his collaboration with countryman Pedro Suarez Vertiz on Vertiz' album, 'Amazonas'. The song is called Nadia & Juan Diego is featured. Great song.

I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

It is indeed a pleasure to listen to Juan Diego Florez a young singer from Peru. It is like now that we no longer have Pavaroti, we can enjoy this new, and vibrant tenor voice. I purchased his new CD in Spanish, but he already have beautiful music for opera. Highly recommended for music lovers.

I first saw Juan Diego Florez at the New York Metropolitan Opera performing the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's "Barber of Seville". His powerful voice was very elegant and clean. He is a master of Bel Canto operas and arias; one of a kind.

Saying that, it is always risky for a tenor to leave the classical stage and attempt to record popular folk music because the reaction of the public is always varied. When Placido Domingo recorded "100 years of Mariachi" many liked it, but not everyone.

With "Sentimiento Latino" Juan Diego does a tremendous singing job. First of all, the music selection is a great tribute to Hispanic music inspired from the classic boleros, rancheras, tangos, etc. From "Ella" by Jose Alfredo Jimenez, "El dia que me quieras" by Carlos Gardel, "Granada" by Agustin Lara, and "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elias Gutierrez, among others, this CD offers a fantastic repertoire.

From his native Peru he included "La Flor de la Canela" and "Fina Estampa"

When he reaches "Jurame" by Maria Grever he confirms his greatness as a tenor easily reaching high notes and always full of that "Sentimiento Latino".

Finishing with "Mexico Lindo y Querido", it could be hard to compare to Jorge Negrete but he does a superb job. The orchestra and mariachi arrangements are top class. This CD could easily become one of your favorites.

I bought this CD because I have very much enjoyed Flores in different operas. However, I could not listen to his singing of these beautiful songs. Instead, I listened to Placido Domingo's CD, De mi Alma Latina, in which the songs are beautifully orchestrated and masterfully sung by Domingo. That said, I would love to hear Flores sing Tu y Yo, the beautiful danza Puertorriqueña,in which Angel Mislan set to music Becquer's rhyme XV, Cendal Flotante.