Alfredo Kraus, Maria Callas, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Ivo Vinco, Franco Ghione, Vincenzo Belle
Release Date: 01 September 2023
Label: Pan Classics
Packaging Type: Box Set
No of Units: 20
Barcode: 7619990104495
Description
Alfredo Kraus was considered the "grand seigneur" among the tenors of his time, an outstanding stylist, an unrivalled knight of high C (and above) - an aristocrat of tenor bel canto - there were and are certainly more famous tenors, but hardly any have reached the class of Alfredo Kraus, the lightness, elegance and sensual charisma of his voice.
The present 20-CD-set documents Kraus' early years from 1958-1963 in live recordings. After his stage debut in 1956 in Cairo, his career took off very quickly: Traviata alongside Maria Callas in Lisbon in 1958, followed by Rigoletto, Lucia, Barbiere at the great houses of Italy.
In these early years Kraus also sang the typical tenore lirico and tenor di grazia roles documented in this box, such as Nadir in Bizet's "Les Pecheurs de Perles" (at that time in Italian) or Ernesto in Don Pasquale, the barely singable role of Arturo in Bellini's "I Puritani", whose high D he well knew how to master, or the Nadir in Cherubini's rare "Ali Baba".
Tracklisting
Biber Consort, Jakub Mitrik
Soloists, Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Joseph Keilberth
The Royal Wind Music
Anita Cerquetti
Tercia Realidad; Jorge Jimenez
Thomas Sanderling, Orchester des Nationaltheaters Mannheim
Soloists; Eroica Berlin; Jakob Lehmann
Leonor de Lera; Nacho Laguna; Pablo FitzGerald
