Thursday, October 02, 2008

Jonas

I am reading Madame Violanska's Journal and found this quote, "Alan Darling says he'd like to spread Kaufmann on a cracker...I'm inclined to agree." Very cute. This is in regard to his present run in Manon in Chicago with Natalie Dessay.
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems as if she/he (?) should have had a dinner before the show otherwise she/he would have been able to hear and see how fabulous Jonas Kaufmann was. I listened to the performance on the internet only, but I’m still overwhelmed.

Here are some parts of newspaper reviews with comments on his singing and acting:

At her side, Kaufmann sang like a dream—virile and impassioned, yet full of soft tonal nuance and color, nowhere more so than in his "Ah! Fuyez douce image." A strong actor, he made Des Grieux a far more credible flesh-and-blood figure than the callow youth portrayed in the text…. Chicago Tribune

German tenor Jonas Kaufmann makes a tender partner for her, matching her delicacy and fragility as an actor as well as her vocal shadings. Seldom has music and drama been both so well served. How rare and wonderful to experience two performers who appear to fall in love and be able to sustain that illusion all while singing their hearts out….Newcity Stage

...Her husband and lover, Chevalier des Grieux, is played by German tenor Jonas Kaufmann, who suffuses his role with such romanticism, such velvety tones and such handsome masculinity that we can't help but wonder how Manon could forsake him for the sake of some insignificant baubles.
Dessay and Kaufmann make for the most gripping and heartbreaking lovers throughout the production, but the last scene in which Manon begs for forgiveness and declares her love is one of the most rapturous love scenes I've ever seen on a stage....Southtownstar

He pours himself into the role of the torn and romantic young Chevalier des Grieux -- a sort of Romeo with self-doubt -- and along the way, with a remarkable command of French language and musical idiom, delivers immensely stirring performances of two of the greatest tenor arias in the French repertoire. Both Dessay and Kaufmann -- physically well-matched as well -- dig deep to bring us singing that arises from the situation rather than stand-and-deliver posturing aimed at the rafters….Chicago Sun

Jonas Kaufmann’s pristine articulation and buttery lyricism happily reassure us his Chevalier des Grieux will return once again....The audience is especially captivated during such exemplary renditions of “Adieu, notre petite table”, “En fermant les yeux” and “Ah! Fuyez douce image”. Concertonetcom

Hope you like the reviews :-).

6:55 AM
Dr.B said...

Sigh!

Everyone agrees I must start nagging Gockley to bring him here.

7:53 AM
Anonymous said...

"Wenn der Prophet nicht zum Berg kommt, dann muss eben der Berg zum Propheten kommen."
I asked my daughter if it wouldn't be a nice idea to spend her fall holidays in Chicago :-).

10:30 AM

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