“Einsame Klasse”: Peter Grimes in Munich

The revival of Stefan Herheim’s production of Peter Grimes at the Bayerische Staatsoper was a great success. Soloists, chorus, orchestra and conductor were ecstatically celebrated by the audience. “Einsame Klasse” (in a class of his own), was the headline in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, “With Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, ‘Peter Grimes’ becomes an hour of glory”.

The review in the web forum Klassik begeistert reads: “Kaufmann showed again this evening that he at the top in his field. The role – Britten once wrote it for his partner Peter Pears – is demanding and vocally in

the Heldentenor range. When it matters, Kaufmann sings strongly and confidently against the village community in the big choral scenes, but he also shows the great palette of his voice in the wonderfully intimate passages that border on the pianissimo. His acting is no less convincing. He is not only a gifted performer of the great heroes and lovers, but also of the desperate anti-hero.”

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The Sound of Movies

Great songs from classic movies have been a passion of Jonas Kaufmann throughout his life. His new album The Sound of Movies reflects the singer’s fascination with a selection of popular hits, in a variety of languages, that spans from the Weimar-era Germany ("Ich küsse ihre Hand, Madame" from 1929) to “Bring Him Home” from the 2012 film of the global hit musical Les Misérables.

Kaufmann initially became enamored by cinema music via tenors Joseph Schmidt and Richard Tauber, as well as the sublime orchestrations of the great golden-age film composers like Erich Korngold and Max Steiner who were steeped in the heritage of Puccini and Strauss.

The album includes "Nelle tue mani" from Gladiator, Henry Mancini's "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's and Vangelis' title song from Conquest of Paradise, among others. Great musical hits are also represented: "Maria" from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, the title song from Singin' in the Rain and "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel. And two evergreens by the American star tenor Mario Lanza: "The Loveliest Night of the Year" from The Great Caruso and "Serenade" from The Student Prince.