The Daily Telegraph
‘The Canadian-born lyric baritone Gerald Finley currently ranks as one of the finest male singers in the world. As this recital of operatic arias in English handsomely demonstrates, Finley has it all: a rich-toned and smoothly produced voice, crisp diction, sterling technique, immaculate legato, a keen sense of musical style and unfailing sensitivity to drama and character.
As well as chestnuts from Don Giovanni; (“Là ci darem la mano”), Tosca; (Scarpia’s Act 1 monologue) and Carmen; (Escamillo’s song), this disc includes appetite-whetting extracts from several operas that Finley has yet to sing on stage. Vivid accompaniments are provided by the LPO under Edward Gardner.’
Gramophone
Editor's Choice
‘All essentials for a good recital are here: the featured artist in good voice,imagination capable of bringing 13 different characters to life unseen, apt recording decisions and on-the-pace accompaniment... Both Gerald Finley and Gardner are natural time-travellers in lyric theatre, be it in the imaginative choice of Antonio’s “Ambio nati in questa valle from Linda di Chamounix or in Richard Rodgers’s “Some enchanted evening’. The latter is set here as a kind of encore and nestles well musically next to Puccini’s treatment of Scarpia’s wholly different kind of love. Its performance epitomises this programme: unafraid to be romantic where necessary, but with a just blend of control and detail to make one hearing not enough... In the emotional John Donne-based reverie from John Adam’s Doctor Atomic the singer is superb and the glittering orchestration well caught by orchestra and engineers.’
