Tenor Alfredo Kraus had a long and illustrious career. Known for his elegance, smoothness of delivery, unfailing high notes, and equally unfailing musicianship, his not-particularly-Italianate tone could be off-putting for those who preferred their tenors robust. But his vocal production, placed high and in the mask (around the nose, but not nasally produced), offered a bright, shiny sound, with plenty of ping and carrying power. He stuck to two handfuls of voice-friendly roles throughout his career, and the caution served him well. This recital was taped in Las Palmas in 1995, when Kraus was 69 years old.
There is no denying that we are listening to a voice that is not young. There is a beat that creeps in occasionally, pitch can be a bit uncertain, and high notes, though still in abundance and (in their own way) spectacular, can be strained. The optional high-C he takes at the close of Kleinzach’s song from Hoffmann is not very appealing, but it gleams and is rock solid. Elsewhere, he can still caress a phrase, as in the L’Arlesiana aria, Edgardo’s final scene from Lucia, and Des Grieux’s “Ah, fuyez!” from Manon.
The audience reacts rapturously and Kraus looks as if he expects every minute of it, but we can’t avoid the feeling that they’re applauding the tenor rather than the renditions of the arias he’s singing at that point in his career. Still, it’s an amazing display of tenorizing, and fans of Kraus–and there are millions–will enjoy this. Between each aria is either an overture (Luisa Miller, Forza, Oberon) or intermezzo (Manon Lescaut, Cavalleria Rusticana) to give the tenor a moment to rest. José Collado’s leadership is dutiful. Picture and sound are first rate; subtitles are available in five languages.
