Javier Camarena - Hector Berlioz: Requiem Op. 5 - SUPER-AUDIO CD [Super Audio CD (SACD)]

Star tenor Javier Camarena makes his Pentatone debut with Signor Gaetano, together with Gli Originali under the baton of Italian opera specialist Riccardo Frizza, presenting a carefully-curated exploration of Donizetti's greatest tenor arias. Besides famous excerpts from L'elisir d'amore, Don Pasquale and Roberto Devereux, this project focuses on hidden gems from rarely-recorded works such as Betly, Maria de Rudenz and Il giovedì grasso. Camarena and Frizza's exceptional sense of style is enhanced by the period instrument playing of Gli Originali. The recording took place at the Teatro Donizetti in the composer's hometown Bergamo, as part of the yearly Donizetti Festival, of which Frizza is the musical director. Javier Camarena is one of the most in-demand tenors of his generation, and one of the world's leading bel canto specialists. Riccardo Frizza frequents major opera houses, was awarded the Best Conductor prize at the International Opera XXI Awards, and returns to Pentatone after having featured on The Three Queens (Donizetti) with Sondra Radvanovsky and Lyric Opera Chicago (2022). Gli Originali was founded within the context of the Bergamo Donizetti Festival, and aims to revive the sound world of early nineteenth-century opera with period instruments and a historically-informed approach.

Renowned for his interpretation of the French repertoire, Seattle Symphony Music Director Ludovic Morlot and the orchestra are joined by acclaimed tenor Kenneth Tarver, a Inchvoice of considerable beauty and freedomInch (Washington Post) in a masterful performance of Hector Berlioz's momentous Requiem. The first performance of Hector Berlioz's Grande messe des morts, or Requiem, took place in Paris in 1837. It was one of the high points of it's author's career, but this triumph did not come easily. Still in his early 30s, Berlioz was widely considered the untamed radical among French composers, and the conservative bureaucrats who controlled the Paris Opera, the Conservatoire and other musical institutions saw fit to place obstacles in his path whenever they could. Kenneth Tarver is considered one of the outstanding Bel Canto tenors of his generation, acknowledged for his beauty of tone, virtuosic technique, extensive and even vocal range, coupled with an attractive and elegant stage presence.

On his second Pentatone album Sogno, tenor Javier Camarena pays tribute to Francesco Paolo Tosti, together with pianist Ángel Rodríguez. Camarena and Rodríguez have curated a collection of Tosti's songs that not only include some of his greatest hits but also highlight lesser-known works, including songs in French and English. The songs selected for this album give us an overview of the different facets of Tosti's style. Some are deeply sentimental, exemplified by 'Vorrei morire!' - one of the composer's most famous pieces - while others, such as 'Marechiare', draw inspiration from folk traditions. Although Tosti is not often remembered in the history of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century music, Javier Camarena is inviting us to rediscover the enchanting world of his songs. Javier Camarena stands as one of the preeminent tenors of our time, and Sogno marks his second album following the successful Signor Gaetano (2022). Pianist Ángel Rodríguez makes his Pentatone debut.