This new Christmas Album featuring opera tenor Roberto Alagna is just what you would expect from a production designed for a big-time super-star singer, what with its world-class orchestra, top notch choirs (four of them!), and huge, lush, Hollywood-style arrangements by Robin Smith. And the whole thing is produced by Jeff “Hooked On Classics” Jarratt, carefully designed not only for excitement, but to highlight the moods and melodies of the various songs. What we may not expect from this type of program is the inclusion of so many new or relatively little-known songs–a beautiful Romanian carol (“O! Ce veste minunata”), sung a cappella with choir, a cradle-song by Schubert, a newly commissioned tune by Russ Ballard and Chris Winter (“The Love of a Child”), “Guardian Angels”, which the tenor once heard on a Mario Lanza album, and Alagna’s own song, “Gentil Père Noël”, which he wrote during the recording of the album.
The tenor uses varied vocal colors and techniques, ranging from operatic style and expressiveness to a kind of pop-style crooning that occasionally threatens to become parody. Indeed, when he sings in English, he seems to think that the more portamento you can slide in (so to speak), the better! This affectation reaches a point of considerable distraction in “Away in a manger” and the concluding “White Christmas”.
However, for the most part we hear a passionate, sincere, gifted performer who never sounds less than fully involved and excited about what he’s singing. And for his fans, he tosses off more high Bs (and maybe a C or two) than you’ll hear in many operas! The atmosphere is consistently joyful–with a few quieter numbers here and there–and the children’s voices add a welcome, “authentic” touch to several selections. Perhaps in keeping with Alagna’s desire to “make an album reminiscent of the great Hollywood recordings,” the final “White Christmas” has the ambience of a 1940s production. It’s interesting–and if you’ve gotten this far through the CD, you’re sure to be delighted.
