Jonas Kaufmann is Alfredo in the Marthaler Traviata Paris 2007

My year ends, as it began, with Jonas, and rightly so. Lucky coincidence, 2008 not only began and ends musically with him, but with the same role in the same opera: Alfredo in Traviata.

The perfect end to a perfect year with a perfect duet..probably my very favourite of all opera music. This is what he sang the first time i heard him live on stage. The name Jonas Kaufmann meant nothing to me, i had no clue who he was, I went there expecting somebody else to sing Alfredo. And this tenor sang Parigi o cara like i had never heard anyone ever sing it before and like i always subconsciously felt it should be sung. It was a case of wish fulfilled even before you yourself know your own desires. It's not my favourite JK role by a mile, but it will always be that special opera, that special role, those special phrases that made me discover Jonas Kaufmann, the artist.

Enjoy!

Jonas Kaufmann's Alfredo sings "Parigi o cara" for his Violetta (Christine Schafer)





Merci orfnos for uploading this jewel!!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Gluckliches Neues Jahr!

Feliz Ano!

Bonne année!

Que tinegue un bona entrada al 2009 !!! ;-)

Seasonal thoughts for my readers

Dear readers, this is a time to dedicate to family and friends (and this is also why i am trying to stay a bit away from the computer, for a change ;-)))), but also to all those known and unknown who in turn also think of you. It is a time of things i cherish a lot: love, joy, friendship, peace, music and all those i wish for all of you to have in bundles!!

I also wanted to share the first Xmas card i got with you (click on the pic above to see the animated version :-)). The ROH beat everyone else to my postbox ;-))) I know it is just good customer service and part of having good PR, but as with all that they do when one is in the House, it is done with friendliness and with a touch of care that makes you believe it really does matter. So thank you ROH for the Greetings!

There are a number of post i owe you (on Rolando, on Jonas, on Thais and maybe more) and i'll be back to the usual ramblings soon enough ;-) I would have liked to dedicate a special song to each and everyone of you for Christmas, but I am afraid my imagination is not bright enough to make them as beautiful as each and every one of you deserve.

So please accept the modest gift below, it comes from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you! And it goes out to all of those who are mentioned here as well as to those who are not :-)

So - For those of you who can never get enough of Jonas, just like me ;-))) here is a little treat, you probably haven't heard before in this version: (Caecilie/Strauss)

And here is something for everyone!! Whenever i get asked what classical song i am reminded of every year at Christmas time - this is it!!! Please click on the link below to listen to the one and only Adeste fideles sung by Luciano Pavarotti!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h6ANR_P2CQ

Merry Christmas!

Frohe Weihnachten!

Feliz Navidad!

Joyeux Noel!

Buon Natale!

Bon Nadal! ;-)))

Jonas Kaufmann new CD!

Update: will it be called : "The German Album"??

http://www.romagnaoggi.it/spettacolo_adnkronos/2008/12/16/36502/

They seem to think so: MUSICA: PARMA, ABBADO DIRIGE LA MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Parma, 16 dic. - (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - Claudio Abbado ha diretto la Mahler Chamber Orchestra e il Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma nell'incisione delle pagine che compongono "The German Album", prossima uscita discografica del tenore Jonas Kaufmann per Decca.

According to : http://www.lungoparma.com/altre_notizie/28996.html
Jonas' new CD recorded with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra will contain:

"L’album offrirà un’originale selezione di arie del repertorio tedesco, con brani da Die Zauberflöte di Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart e Fidelio di Ludwig van Beethoven, pagine rare dalle opere di Franz Schubert Fierrabras e Alfonso und Estrella e, per finire, pagine celebri dai drammi musicali wagneriani: Die Walküre, Lohengrin e Parsifal."

WOW!!

Can't wait!