Marcelo Álvarez - French Arias

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Although Marcelo Álvarez started his professional career comparatively late, he rose up quickly--perhaps too quickly. On his first CD, Bel Canto, which featured Italian arias, he displayed a bright, lyrical voice of great sweetness, a fine high range with a ringing top, and admirable breath control. His second CD, devoted to the music of his fellow Argentinean Gardel, was even more impressive for its stylistic and idiomatic identification.

This is Álvarez's third CD in three years; unfortunately, it is not as successful. One reason is that the program includes too many slow arias, several taken from operas better known in their Italian version. In fact, the aria from Donizetti's La Favorita is also included on Álvarez's Italian disc. Another reason is that his voice sounds a bit frayed, tight, and harsh under stress, and the florid passages seem labored. However, it is still beautiful in the soft, lyrical pieces. Among the highlights are the two arias from Massenet's Manon--the first for its passion, the second for its floating mezza voce--and the arias from Gounod's Faust and Verdi's Don Carlo. The program seems to have been chosen for its display of high Cs (there is even one D-flat), and Álvarez exploits them to the hilt, letting them last as long as possible, whether indicated by the composer or not. His expressiveness is genuine, but often exaggerated, his diction almost unintelligible. The orchestra plays well and sounds lush; among the solos those for violin and viola d'amore stand out. --Edith Eisler

Tracks:

Pourquoi me reviiller
Il itait une fois ` la cour
O dieu, de quelle ivresse
Ah, mes amis...Pour man bme
L'amour, l'amour...Ah! lhve-toi, soleil
Seul sur la terre
Je suis seul!...Ah fuyez, douce image
La mantresse du roi?...Ange si pur
Alors, c'est bien ici...Je ne sais si je veille...O nature pleine de grbce
Fontainebleau! Forjt immense...Je l'ai vue et dans son sourire
En fermant les yeux...c'est un rjve
Salut demeure chaste et pure
Ah! quel spectacle...Plus blanche que la blanche hermine
Ne m'abandonne point...Asile hereditaire...Vengeance! vengeance...Plus

Amazon.com

Although Marcelo Álvarez started his professional career comparatively late, he rose up quickly--perhaps too quickly. On his first CD, Bel Canto, which featured Italian arias, he displayed a bright, lyrical voice of great sweetness, a fine high range with a ringing top, and admirable breath control. His second CD, devoted to the music of his fellow Argentinean Gardel, was even more impressive for its stylistic and idiomatic identification.

This is Álvarez's third CD in three years; unfortunately, it is not as successful. One reason is that the program includes too many slow arias, several taken from operas better known in their Italian version. In fact, the aria from Donizetti's La Favorita is also included on Álvarez's Italian disc. Another reason is that his voice sounds a bit frayed, tight, and harsh under stress, and the florid passages seem labored. However, it is still beautiful in the soft, lyrical pieces. Among the highlights are the two arias from Massenet's Manon--the first for its passion, the second for its floating mezza voce--and the arias from Gounod's Faust and Verdi's Don Carlo. The program seems to have been chosen for its display of high Cs (there is even one D-flat), and Álvarez exploits them to the hilt, letting them last as long as possible, whether indicated by the composer or not. His expressiveness is genuine, but often exaggerated, his diction almost unintelligible. The orchestra plays well and sounds lush; among the solos those for violin and viola d'amore stand out. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Marcelo Alvarez-French Arais.......2002-04-09

I bought this CD 2 months ago and I'd been listening to this CD almost everyday. This is a must have CD in anybody's collection. This CD is an excellent introduction to Opera for those who are not so fond of the Opera. I am not one of those people who will argue that Alvarez is the BEST opera singer ever, but this album is one of the BEST. Each track is sung with passion and meaning imbedded into the words,even though Mr. Alvarez is not a native France and not in excellent command of the french pronounciation. But Music itself is a Universal language. What matters here in his interpretation and passion in his voice in which he sang very intelligently. The range of the man is truly remarkable. If you are interested in giving some attention to this singer, then "The Bel Canto " CD is by far his BEST to date, so I heartily recommend it. Mr. Alvarez is one of the promising tenors of the 21st Century along with Ramon Vargas and his fellow Argetine the versatile musician, Jose Cura.The choices of songs for this album is ones that are non very well known, but you cannot deny the greatness of Alvarez's voice. Mr. Alvarez an opera singer with a sweetness that has not been heard since Carlo Bergonzi. Listening to Marcelo Alvarez brings beauty to opera. Whether loud or soft is not the point. His voice has a purity and gentle emotion that is spectacular.

Very Satisfying, If A Bit Flawed.......2002-03-08

Marcelo Alvarez is an Argentine, and thus French is not his native language, and it shows. So a linguistic perfectionist will complain a bout a less than idiomatic pronunciation, which is true on this disc. But there have been a number of Spanish and Italian speaking singers who have performed in the French repertoire, and have been successful, even with less than perfect pronunciation. Alvarez is one of these. Amazon's editorial reviewer complained that the voice sounded "a bit frayed, tight and harsh" I differ. In the first aria, "Pourqoi me reveiller", he sounds like he hasn't "warmed up". I noted the same thing with the opening aria in his "Bel Canto" disc. A stressed, overused or tired voice first shows it at the "break" ( around high f), where the voice goes from the middle to the head register. There is no such evidence here. Another symptom is an inability to diminish volume (diminuendo) from loud to soft on a sustained tone. Alvarez executes these perfectly and repeatedly. My criticism is in the choice of selections, which is due more, I'll bet, to Sony than to the performer. Too many of the arias are more associated with the Italian versions of the operas than the French, and there are many gems from the French opera that would have sounded better on this disc. That aside, I think that Alvarez, along with Ramon Vargas, are our two top tenors today, and Alvarez delivers some fine interpretations here. I have enjoyed this disc, and I believe that almost anyone who enjoys a gifted tenor will too.

Provincial at Best.......2002-02-14

Always looking for new talent and certainly aware of the reputation of Mr. Alvarez, I was extremely disappointed to find a colorless, unfocussed voice with virtually no innate musical sense, much less a familiarity with French operatic style. The voice is tight and wooden, with approaches to the high notes varyingly grunting and gnashing of teeth. Is this merely the result of a basically untrained natural talent succumbing to an international career? After hearing beautiful work from both Ramon Vargas and Juan Diego Florez, and acceptable singing from Roberto Alagna and Ben Heppner in the past few months, I must say that Sony has a talent search on their hands if they are to compete with RCA, Decca, DG and EMI.

Magnifique!!.......2002-02-01

Excellent! Superb! Alvarez's sophomore solo release is nothing short of stunning. Building upon the success of his debut album, Bel Canto, and banking on the critical acclaim he has received all over the world, Alvarez's melting tones lend incomparable beauty to arias from "Faust," "Guillaume Tell," and "Don Carlos" among others. This recording clearly demonstrates that his growing reputation as one of THE premier tenors of this generation is not exaggerated.