We’re out of our tenor-poor period. In the past 10 years Alvarez, Licitra, Florez, Vargas, and Alagna have begun to truly impress, and to that list can be added the name Marcello Giordani (and very recently, Rolando Villazon). They each have their areas of specialization and some overlap, but interestingly it is Giordani who appears to sing almost all of the repertoire the others cover. That having been said, does he in fact shine in all, any, or none?
Well, it turns out that he excels in most–but with some reservations. It’s clear from listening to this recital, much of which is a high-note showcase, that he has a voice that is capable of almost any type of tenorizing. The voice is secure up to a high-D, he can navigate some rudimentary coloratura (in the Pirata arias), the tone is bright, he can sing softly, he seems tireless, he even trills a bit in “Ah, si ben mio”–and the voice is appealing if not quite plush.
But it’s time to examine: There is something all-purpose about his delivery, except when he actually stops to think about it. “Ah, si ben mio”, “Un ange…” from La Favorite, a rarity by Pacini, and the Flower Song from Carmen are sweetly, simply sung with class and elegance. Otherwise, we get full-throated swagger–not, mind you, an altogether bad thing. “Di quella pira” and Arnold’s big scene from Guillaume Tell are simply thrilling. Giordani has the heft for Turiddu’s farewell, and he’s got the ability to stay in a very high tessitura in the Pirata scenes–but we get the feeling that these (and the Tell, and the Fille) would make their composers cringe. His style is absolutely not bel canto; there’s a veristic approach to everything and the sheer muscularity of his delivery can be a bit tiring for the listener. Well, these recital CDs are not made to listen to in one sitting, and with that in mind, and fussiness aside, this is pretty hot stuff. Steven Mercurio’s accompaniments are more than that; he breathes well with Giordani and brings out the best in him.
