Erwin Schrott - Arias (2012/2015) [Official Digital Download]

On his second release for Sony Classical, Erwin Schrott transfers many of his stage triumphs to an album of arias. Although it is a must to include one of his showpiece arias from Mozart’s Don Giovanni on the recording, for the most part Schrott has devoted this album to classics from the French and Italian bass-baritone repertoire, complementing them with compositions by Verdi and Massenet that are not often heard.

The two arias by Giuseppe Verdi from Attila and I Lombardi hark back to the major interpretations of Verdi by many heroes of the bass-baritone world back in the composer’s lifetime. Boito’s opera Mefistofele represents a fitting extension of the repertoire here. Massenet himself particularly admired baritone singing – the arias from the opera Don Quichotte testify to this in their own individual way, and the works of Offenbach and Bizet provide a logically consistent context for this in terms of music history. Finally, with the famous aria Le Veau d’or from Gounod’s Faust, with a deliberately diabolic touch Erwin Schrott creates a link to Boito’s masterpiece.

The singer also gives due place to his love of music by Spanish and Latin American composers: The two arias by the Spanish composer Pablo Sorozabal, and Da sposa, di padre by the Brazilian Carlos Gomes from the opera Salvator, are three varied, highly characteristic pieces that frequently arouse an enthusiastic response from audiences at his concerts.

“he has a superb voice which he uses intelligently and sensitively…Once you adjust to the pronounced echo, there is plenty of pleasure to be had here - from his singing and adventurous choice of repertoire alike…his dying Don Quichotte is especially fine.” (BBC Music Magazine)

“The best of his voice - a dark vocal plushness in his mid-range - emerges in the Toreador Song's verse portion, though beyond that he pushes for low notes that aren't really there…Declamatory passages go well for Schrott, especially when the language is Italian - one reason why some of the early Verdi arias are among the more convincing moments on the disc.” (Gramophone Magazine)

“on disc, his pleasing lyric bass is a good fit for the characters he plays…this is far from the random bran-tub selection one now almost invariably encounters on recorded solo opera programmes of this type…[Don Quichotte's] valedictory music inspires some of Schrott's most sensitive singing…one of the most plausible champions of this repertoire in today's opera firmament.” (International Record Review)

TRACKLIST

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

1 Scintille, diamant 02:32

Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

2 Carmen, Act 2: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre 04:25

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

3 Le veau d'or 02:01

Jules Massenet (1842-1912)

4 2nd Interlude 02:34
5 O mon maître, o mon grand! 10:27

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

6 A te nell'ora infausta 03:57
7 Sciagurata 06:21
8 Attila: Mentre gonfiarsi l'anima 05:21

Arrigo Boito (1842-1918)

9 Ave Signor (Chorus)03:25
10 Ave Signor 03:53
11 Son lo spirito che nega 03:28
12 Ecco il mondo 02:46

Carlos Gomes (1836-1896)

13 Di sposo, di padre 05:36

Pablo Sorozabal (1897-1988)

14 No te acerques no me persigas 03:28
15 Despierta negro 03:32

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

16 Tre sbirri, una carozza… (Te Deum) 04:07

PERSONNEL
Erwin Schrott, bass-baritone
Rinat Shaham, mezzo-soprano
Sorin Coliban, baritone
Maria Grün, cello
Vienna State Opera Chorus
ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna
Daniele Rustioni, conductor