The velvety patina and fierce core strength of the Italian bass-baritone is on show here in a patterning of both popular operatic and rarer concert arias...He shifts from the expression of astonishment to regret, from pride to shame within Leporello's 'Catalogue' aria

D'Arcangelo is a rising operatic star with a rich, dark, burnished bass-baritone voice, a flawless technique and an unusually wide vocal range: skills particularly evident in the demanding concert arias. There's plenty of characterisation, too - smooth and seductive in Don Giovanni's 'Deh, vieni alla finestra', knowing in the 'Catalogue' aria - his Leporello is no bumbling servant, but a sly, rather dangerous man who resents his status.

The sonorous bass-baritone of Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, with its oaken middle register and ringing top notes, is certainly an impressive instrument.

D'Arcangelo's savour of text, crucial in Mozart's recitatives, is second to none in this repertoire today...All non-Italian aspirants to Figaro, Leporello and Giovanni should listen to this disc to hear exemplary diction and communication of the text: D'Arcangelo lives the roles precisely because he understands what he is singing and is able to project its meaning so vividly.

Ildebrando d’Arcangelo, mellow and secure in tone, forcefully brings the characters and drama alive.