The Decca Recordings (15 CD Box Set)

The press, describing Munich-born tenor Jonas Kaufmann’s voice, inevitably reaches for superlatives. Blessed with a voice of clarity and strength, not to mention riveting stage presence, Kaufmann is the born tenor hero. The clarion ring of his tenor can thrill, but equally, he can diminish it to an exquisite pianissimo. It is a unique instrument and one that ensures his concerts are sold-out events, leaving an enduring impression on his audiences.

The recordings on this set chronicle his ‘Decca Years’, although the earliest of the recordings on the set was made for Philips – a complete Weber Oberon in 2002 conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. They stretch ten years, to 2012, with his last recording for Decca, the sumptuously recorded Wagner recital with Donald Runnicles.

This period showcases a wide range of Kaufmann’s artistry. Three complete opera recordings are included in the set, each of which in some way foreshadows his Wagnerian future: the aforementioned Oberon, the role of the King’s Son in Humperdinck’s Königskinder (recorded for the Accord label in France) and Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Abbado.

The showcases of opera arias (with Abbado, Armiliato, Pappano and Runnicles) traverse 18th and early 19th century Germanic repertoire, the thrill of verismo and, of course, the landmark Wagner recital. Included on this set, too, is “bonus” material recorded at the time of the original sessions, including an aria from Mascagni’s Iris, an ensemble from Puccini’s La rondine (with Renée Fleming); Schubert’s intimate song ‘Der Jüngling an der Quelle’ and Richard Strauss’s sweeping ‘Cäcilie’. Plus a detailed audio interview (in English and German) about Wagner.

A major song cycle (Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin) and a breathtaking choral work (Verdi’s Messa da Requiem) round off this offering, showcasing Jonas Kaufmann at his finest. These award-winning and critically-acclaimed recordings represent a period in his career that finds him embracing the gamut of repertoire, showing in no uncertain terms that his voice and artistry had no limits.