Bryn Terfel: Opernarien

Read About This Recording

When he steps onto the stages of the world’s greatest opera houses, Bryn Terfel is simply electrifying. His voice is rich, warm, passionate and remarkable, but Terfel is more than a singer: he becomes the roles he sings. His interpretations are unbelievable and in this recording of great opera arias he demonstrates his amazingly wide range and his affinity for any kind of music.

The disc opens with five Mozart arias and I can assure you you’ve never heard the great aria "Non più andrai" from The Marriage of Figaro sung in such a compelling manner. In addition to arias from Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute, Terfel offers an aria from Così fan tutte that is most-often omitted from the opera. In his hands this gem becomes an extraordinary discovery; one could argue that this one aria makes having this album a necessity.

There are great arias by Wagner, Offenbach, Gounod, Borodin, Donizetti, Verdi and a charmer by Rossini and in every instance Terfel imbues the pieces with an idiomatic brilliance and understanding of the texts he is singing.

With James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra providing extraordinary accompaniment, there is no doubt as to why this amazing aria album won the Grammy Award. It’s the kind of disc you’ll go back to over and over again.

—Jacob Anthony

Quotes

1997 Grammy® Award-winner!

"Editor's Choice" —Gramophone

"At the end of 'Die Frist ist um,' the producers in the control room shook their heads in awe. Mr. Levine beamed. And the Met musicians, who have heard a singer or two in their day, broke into fervent applause mixed with cheers." —The New York Times on the recording session

"The producers in the control room shook their heads in awe. Mr. Levine beamed. And the Met musicians, who have heard a singer or two in their day, broke into fervent applause mixed with cheers." —The New York Times on the recording session

Contents

1997 Grammy® Award-winner!

Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro: Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso; Don Giovanni: Deh, vieni alla finestra; Madamina, il catalogo è questo; Così fan tutte: Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo; The Magic Flute: Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja; Wagner: Tannhäuser: Wie Todesahnung Dämmerung deckt die Lande...O du mein holder Abendstern; The Flying Dutchman: Die Frist ist um; Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Allez!...Pour te livrer combat...Scintille, diamant; Gounod: Faust: Vous qui faites I'endormie; Borodin: Prince Igor: Ni sna ni otdycha izmucennoj duse; Donizetti: Don Pasquale: Bella siccome un angelo; Rossini: La Cenerentola: Miei rampolli femminini; Verdi: Macbeth: Perfidi! All'anglo contra me v'unite!; Falstaff: Ehi! paggio!...L'Onore!.

Bryn Terfel, Bass Baritone; The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; James Levine, Conductor.