Torna a Sorriento • Passione • Maria, Mari’ • Core ‘ngrato • Parlami d’amore, Mariu • Non ti scordar di me • O’ Sole mio • A Marechiare • Voce ‘e notte • Dicitencello vuie • Comme facetta mammeta? • Musica proibita • ‘A vucchella • Canta pe’ me! • Fenesta ca lucive • Santa Lucia • O surdato ‘nnamurato
“undoubtedly one of the voices of the century”—Opera News
““The sheer beauty of Hvorostovsky’s voice approaches legendary status”—San Francisco Examiner
“…some of the most beautiful and eloquent sounds that can currently be heard from any human throat… His voice is redolent of luxury: beautiful tone, pinpoint intonation, elegant, and impassioned delivery.”—The New York Times
“He is among the very few opera singers to have made it onto People magazine’s annual list of the world’s most beautiful people. If you add the sheer richness and beauty of his baritone and his gift for lofting long-spun phrases you have a winning combination.” —Chicago Tribune
Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s first recording for Delos, “PASSIONE DI NAPOLI,” with Constantine Orbelian and the Philharmonia of Russia, fulfilled a lifelong dream on Dmitri’s part and, as Delos founder Amelia Haygood put it, “sent the rest of us into a state of ecstasy.” The great baritone is a natural for this passionate repertoire, with its suggestions of Naples’ popular heritage one minute and bel canto grace the next.
“There’s a feeling of Neapolitan pride, enthusiasm, energy and the sheer joy of singing,” Dmitri says. “And the poetry is naïve and beautiful, very sensitive. These songs are a great opportunity to let go, to be hot-blooded and follow the heart.”
BBC Music Magazine agrees: “The Philharmonia of Russia, under the baton of the US-born conductor Constantine Orbelian, give it their all. The brass swells, the strings shimmer and the percussion sparkles… Hvorostovsky himself is on top form, his miraculously burnished voice seamlessly modulated, his phrasing unselfconsciously expressive, shamelessly ardent and thrillingly dramatic…. To paraphrase Mae West, sometimes too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
“Hey, That’s Not an Aria, It’s ‘O Sole Mio!’ …Mr. Hvorostovsky is in splendid voice, singing with the improbable smoothness and cultural delivery that still makes listeners roll their eyes in wonder.”—New York Times
Following the enormous success of their first recording together, Dmitri and Delos went on to create nine more (and counting) superb albums, some of them groundbreaking.
Staying in the Italian vein, and reminding everyone that he is the leading Verdi baritone of our time, came Dmitri’s VERDI ARIAS (DE 3292). Dmitri was “born to sing Verdi” (Opera magazine), and here the great baritone showcases some of his hallmark Verdi roles. Also with the splendid Philharmonia of Russia, Dmitri sings arias from Rigoletto, Nabucco, Un Ballo in Maschera, Ernani, I Masnadieri, and Il Trovatore.
“Hvorostovsky continues to astonish, and his voice remains one of the most gorgeous in the world… he’s such a fabulous singer, that all you can do when you hear him is sit back and surrender.”—The Guardian
“He’s in his prime, with a big, firm, sexy, chocolatey sound (or perhaps a good red wine might be a better comparison). He is a virile Iago, a vigorous Rigoletto, and an utterly convincing Count in Il balen del suo sorriso from Il Trovatore. Manrico would have to pull everything out to win Leonora from such a man.”—The Weekend Australian
In a third Delos recording appearing around the same time as the first two, Dmitri sings one of his signature roles, Count Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky’s THE QUEEN OF SPADES (DE 3289). Since Opera News suggested hitting the “replay” button on his aria “I Love You” (Ya vas lyublyu ) we offer a sample here.
Opera News Best of the Year: “Hit that ‘replay’ button: Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Yeletsky’s aria in Queen of Spades (Delos)…”
There is more Verdi to be heard, and many other wonders as well, in Dmitri’s most recent aria album HEROES AND VILLAINS (DE 3365), which is the subject of an earlier post. Dmitri himself feels that “H&V,” as we call it at Delos, is his best aria album to date, and critics around the world agree.
Dmitri’s new album of TCHAIKOVSKY ROMANCES (DE 3392) is already being acknowledged as the definitive version of these song
s. Hvorostovsky fans will be glad to know that there is yet another album in the works, to appear later this year. This week we’ve added a couple of music samples of these beautiful Romances; one from each of the two discs in the set. (None but the Lonely Heart, Does the Day Reign)