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Contrabandista

Javier Camarena (tenor), Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo)

Les Musiciens du Prince, Gianluca Capuano

Contrabandista

Awards:

Things bode well when you shout ‘Bravo!’ at the hi-fi speakers at the end of the first track…The amiable Mexican throws himself into this repertoire with abandon, greedily lapping up the florid...

Contrabandista

Javier Camarena (tenor), Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo)

Les Musiciens du Prince, Gianluca Capuano

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44.1 kHz, 16 bit, FLAC/ALAC/WAV

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320 kbps, MP3

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This release includes a digital booklet

Stream now Hi-RES 96 kHz, 24 bit

Awards:

Things bode well when you shout ‘Bravo!’ at the hi-fi speakers at the end of the first track…The amiable Mexican throws himself into this repertoire with abandon, greedily lapping up the florid...

About

In ‘Contrabandista’, Javier Camarena delves deep into the life and music of legendary Spanish tenor Manuel García.

This collection features works by Manuel García, including three world premiere recordings, alongside favourites by Rossini and Zingarelli. Javier Camarena is joined by Cecilia Bartoli, his mentor for this album, in a stunning duet from Rossini’s Armida. The release of this album ties into Cecilia Bartoli’s 2018 ‘30 Years on Decca’ celebrations.

Contents and tracklist

"Hernando desventurado…Cara gitana del alma mia"
Track length8:28
"Yo que soy contrabandista"
Track length2:25
"Sì, ritrovarla io giuro"
Track length5:56
"Mais que vois-je? Une lyre...Vous dont l’image toujours chère"
Track length6:28
"Più dubitar mi fan questi suoi detti...Là dai regni dell' ombra e di morte"
Track length3:59
"Principessa, sei tu...Amor...Possente nome!"
Track length14:27
"Dieu!...pour venger un père, faut-il devenir assassin?...O ciel! De ma juste furie"
Track length4:25
"Cessa di più resistere"
Track length7:56
"Formarè mi plan con cuidado"
Track length9:50
"S’ella mi è ognor fedele…Qual sarà mai la gioia"
Track length7:15

Spotlight on this release

Awards and reviews

  • Presto Editor's Choice
    October 2018
  • The Times Records of the Year
    2018
  • International Opera Awards
    2019
    Nominated - Recital Album

December 2018

Things bode well when you shout ‘Bravo!’ at the hi-fi speakers at the end of the first track…The amiable Mexican throws himself into this repertoire with abandon, greedily lapping up the florid coloratura excesses with ease. He has a wonderfully flexible voice without any hint of nasality or the slightly metallic top of someone like Juan Diego Flórez, the only other tenor who could currently tackle this sort of stuff with such easy elegance.

January 2019

Ramiro’s aria from Cenerentola demonstrates Camarena’s extraordinary facility and easily accessed top register. The Count’s ‘Cessa di più resistere’ reiterates his absolute command.

October 2018

On paper, a programme of bravura showstoppers by Rossini and the Spanish tenor Manuel Garcia might look like a slightly relentless prospect, but there’s a charm and sweetness to Mexican tenor’s singing that’s hard to resist. The Garcia curiosities come across well, but the highlight is Ramiro’s aria from La cenerentola, despatched with a tangible excitement that makes it abundantly clear why Camarena was granted a rare encore after singing it at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014.

7th October 2018

Camarena’s tenorino di forza just about manages Almaviva’s florid Cessa di piu, from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, but the five Garcia items and a Zingarelli rarity are choice works, excitingly delivered.

Opera Now January 2019

Camarena has a rich-bodied tenor, clarion at full throttle. His acuti are exciting, his phrasing exemplary; his coloratura is remarkable for its blend of robust tone and agility.
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