With his richly burnished voice, Tézier gives a compelling account of all these diverse characters but is at his best in the arias that call for psychological nuance and contrasts in vocal shading.

This is surely the finest Verdi recital – from any voice type – to have appeared for several years, if not a decade.

This is a fine achievement by one of today’s very few genuinely top-tier opera performers...across the full duration of a programme 82 minutes in total, he sounds a singer in his mature prime.

The French baritone is endowed with seemingly endless reserves of breath, a rock-solid upper register, and above all a gleaming bronze tone which slices cleanly through the heavy orchestration without ever becoming harsh or raw…This is a recital to treasure from a classy, intelligent singer at the height of his powers, and should be heard by anyone who’s ever worried that true Verdi voices are becoming thin on the ground.

He carries his voice up through the passagio with skill, even in the high placement of the aria from Il Trovatore that brings many a baritone to grief...in some ways this new release is quite overwhelming in its riches. It is a pleasure to hear a voluminous baritone pour his heart out. An interesting and provocative album, well worth exploring.