A new tenor who is beginning to make an impact is the young Mexican Arturo Chacón-Cruz. What is there about Mexico and tenors? They seem to be popping up south of the border like viruses. Last night Chacón-Cruz appeared as Pinkerton in Florida Grand Opera’s production of Madama Butterfly. My source there says his voice is a light tenor with a brilliant top. That his sound is reminiscent of Carlo Bergonzi. Below are a couple of You Tube clips
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFCwYTLWr5s]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2L9E4guBiM&feature=related]
A visit to the tenor’s web site will add more samples of his voice.
Another singer to watch is the Chinese soprano Shu-Ying Li. She scored a stunning triumph in the Miami Butterfly. My Miami correspondent says she was the best Butterfly he’s ever seen; his experience goes back more than four decades.
Below is the love duet from that opera taken from the performance at the New York City Opera last year. The tenor is James Valenti.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb1j1VA2yck]
Tomorrow may be a better day.
A tenor who gives me chills!!!………so rare. Really open high notes…..also so rare. Magnificant solid singing. I hear nothing of Bergonzi who had beautiful phrasing in the middle voice, but totally lackluster top……to me unexciting.
Chacón-Cruz reminds me of an early Corelli, not in vocal quality so much, but the high volume solidity he had that gradually became tempered with more variation in dynamics. Sometimes those soft phrases can be as orgasmic!!!
Thank you, thank you,
Operafilly