In this latest release from Orfeo, Pavol Breslik – an artist progressively adding to his repertoire – returns to Mozart, a composer for which he has become renowned: “When I go back to Mozart after excursions into other repertoire – like Lensky or bel canto – and feel at home with Tamino, I know I have done the right thing.” Born in Slovakia in 1979, the young artist made his professional singing debut at the age of twenty-one in the challenging role of Don Ottavio, in the very city where Don Giovanni was premiered: Prague. Since then, he has performed the role on many of the world’s leading stages: Salzburg in 2008 (staged by Claus Guth), the Munich production of 2009, Vienna Staatsoper in 2011, London under Constantin Carydis and Los Angeles under Dudamel in 2012 and at last in 2013 Zurich, where the artist is resident. Pavol Breslik enjoyed great success at another Mozart premiere location, in Dieter Dorn’s new staging of Idomeneo at the 2008 reopening of the Cuvilliés Theatre in Munich, in the role of Idamante. Also to be heard here is the great ‘Fuor del mar’ aria of the title role, Idamante’s father. In this latter aria, needless to say, the singer rises to the challenge of the original version’s virtuoso ornaments, which Mozart spared his elderly soloist at the work’s first performance. Of Belmonte’s four arias in Die Entführung, the two most important are included here, ‘Konstanze, dich wieder zu sehen’ and ‘Ich baue ganz auf deine Stärke’, known as the ‘master builder’s aria’ and often dropped on account of its wide vocal range, challenges and length. Having sung the role of Ferrando in Così fan tutte in 2010 at the New York Met and in London, Pavol Breslik was regrettably obliged to withdraw at short notice from Dieter Dorn’s Munich production on account of an inflammation of the vocal cords. The present ‘Un’ aura amorosa’ is a later recording. Breslik now treats Tamino almost as his showpiece among Mozart roles: he sang it at an early age in his home city of Bratislava; he has been singing it at Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden ever since his ensemble years there; he made his 2006 debut with it at the Bavarian Staatsoper; and only lately he embodied the part in the Baden-Baden production under Simon Rattle. As the role contains just one real aria, it is followed by the enchantment scene with the magic flute and the scene with the Speaker, here played by the venerable José van Dam.