Who could resist hearing one of the world’s most beautiful voices up close, singing alone with a piano? Song recitals, especially of Lieder (song in German), used to be standard fare in concert-goers’ diaries. Yet now, beyond specialist series and festivals, such events are becoming oddly rare. In a world dominated by pop songs – surely not so different, just noisier – exactly why the classical song recital has become an endangered species is a mystery. Jonas Kaufmann, widely regarded as the “world’s greatest tenor”, is determined to solve it.
“Everywhere we have difficulties in selling song recitals, because people are no longer used to this genre,” the German superstar says, on the phone from his summer holiday. “Maybe it’s not an easy-access art form. People are afraid it will be too long or too boring. And that’s sad, because it is unique and so intense that it would be a shame if it were just to vanish from the world’s artistic map.” Read more
Rollendebut „La Gioconda“ in Sydney
Am 9. und 12. August war Jonas Kaufmann im Opernhaus von Sydney mit zwei konzertanten Aufführungen von Ponchiellis La Gioconda zu hören. Es war dies sein Debüt in der Rolle des Enzo Grimaldi. Seine Partner waren Vitalij Kowaljow (Alvise), Agnieszka Rehlis (Laura), Saioa Hernández (Gioconda), die Musikalische Leitung hatte Pinchas Steinberg (Gruppenfoto von links nach rechts). Nach der zweiten Aufführung gaben Kaufmann und Tézier eine Signierstunde im Opernhaus.
