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Gods, Kings & Demons (Opera Arias)
Average Customer Review : 5.0/5 based on 6 reviews
List Price : $16.98
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Editorial Reviews
The eagerly awaited DG debut solo disc from René Pape has arrived! The reigning operatic bass of today, Pape has created an international fan base with his moving performances on every major operatic stage. Pape has appeared almost every season with the Metropolitan Opera since his 1995 house debut and continues to receive stellar reviews for every performance. This recital brings together the roles that have made his career as well as a few rarities. Highlights are his moving monologue from Verdi's Don Carlo and King Marke's monologue from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Pape is joined by conductor Sebastian Weigle who leads the Staatskapelle Dresden.
Spotlight Reviews
Not completely convincing, but a good selection for basso fans (2009-01-07)
Customer Review : 4
I have been learning classical singing as a bass for eight years. I bought this CD after seeing Rene Pape being interviewed on television and was interested in adding his voice to my collection of bass singing. I thought the selection of arias was a good selection. It contained some of the standard bass repertoire but a few others not often heard, particularly in Australia, such as ones from Rusalka and the Demon, and I enjoyed the Wotan and King Marke pieces. I felt that the serenade from Faust seemed a little stiff, and wasn't as convincing as say, the recently recorded Erwin Schrott version. I also thought that some of the tempi, particularly that of King Phillip's aria from Don Carlo, and especially the romance from the Demon, were far too slow for my comfort. I far prefer Dmitri Hvorostovsky's version of the Demon arias on his 1994 CD. Rene Pape certainly has a fine singing voice though and the CD is a welcome addition to my collection.
Rene Pape continues to shine (2009-01-06)
Customer Review : 5
Rene Pape is the preeminent bass baritone of the opera world today. His recent King Marke at the Met was by far the best performance of the night, even with Barenboim's debut. This CD is a good sample of his repertoire.
a verdi revelation (2008-11-30)
Customer Review : 5
I can only add a little story to the other glowing reviews. I haven't become a great Verdi fan so far, though I've heard and watched quite a bit of his work. I love all sorts of other opera, from Monteverdi to Janacek and beyond, but not Verdi...until I heard the Don Carlo track from this new CD. When I first heard it, this singer and this orchestra somehow revealed the music of Verdi to me. I think it's because there's no bombast, no overacting, no wailing or shouting. Pape's power and skill allow him to simply sing, though I'm sure actually doing so is not so simple. I hope I can use the insight provided by Rene Pape to help me unlock more Verdi now.
The phenomenally successful Pape gets his due (2008-11-30)
Customer Review : 5
Bass-baritones with voices as deep and plush as Rene Pape's rarely become superstars, but he's on the verge, I think. Diehard fans already exist in plenty, and every time his name appears on the bill at the Met for a performance of Tristan, the Magic Flute, or Fidelio, you know that the A-list cast is on. It's nice to see this native Dresdener, now 44, paired with the great Dresden Sttaatskapelle (even if Weigle's conducting is no better than satisfactory).
In keeping with the theme, we start off with three flavors of Mephistopheles by Gounod, Boito, and Berlioz, all of which Pape handles with stylish panache. His voice is so velvety, even, and smoothly produced that he never resorts to barking or melodramatic hamminess. On stage I imagine he would add a few more teeth to his bite, however, and quite a lot more snarl. King Philip's soliloquy from Don Carlo is beautifully sung and touchingly acted.
The one snippet of Pape's noble Wotan taken from Das Rheingold is tantalizing (too bad the conducting is particularly draggy here), but then we get a signature role, King Marke singing the entire Act II monologue. As pure singing and vocal acting, this couldn't be improved on, but once again I msut point out the sagging Weigle, who lets down the orchestral side. The last lengthy extract is Boris's death scene, which Pape keeps on the restrained side -- but how can one complain when such artistry is at work?
Here's the full program:
Berlioz:
Voice des roses (Air de Méphistophélès)
Devant la maison from La Damnation de Faust
Boito:
Ecco il mondo, vuoto e tondo from Mefistofele
Dvorak:
Beda! Beda! - Celý svet nedá ti
Gounod:
Le veau d'or est toujours debout from Faust
Serenade: Vous qui faite l'endormie (Mephistopheles) [from Faust]
Mussorgsky:
Oy, dusno, dusno! - Proscay, moy sïn from Boris Godunov
Offenbach:
Scintille, diamant from Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Rubinstein:
Na vozdushnom okeane
Ne plac', ditya from Demon
Verdi:
Ella giammai m'amò (from Don Carlo)
Wagner:
Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge from Das Rheingold
'Tatest du's wirklich' - King Marke's monologue from Tristan and Isolde
At long last. (2008-11-19)
Customer Review : 5
At long last a CD of one of the great voices of our time. I was so thrilled to learn he was finally coming out with this CD and I have been listening to it over and over again since receiving it. I hope he records a Flying Dutchman and Guernamanz in Parsifal. Of course we all eagerly await his Wotan. Thank you Rene for giving us this wonderful recording. We want more.
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