German tenor Jonas Kaufmann delighted opera audiences at La Scala Milan last summer with his inspired performance of Giacomo Puccini's classic arias.
The resultant concert film, Jonas Kaufmann: An Evening with Puccini, premiered across the U.S. in limited release last February. Fans who missed the theatrical event can now enjoy the concert on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Classical.
Lovers of Kaufmann's Puccini renditions have had much material to pore over. As we previously reported, the singer recently issued his third collection of Puccini's work, Nessun Dorma - The Puccini Album. The set followed his 2008 double album of the complete Madama Butterfly and last year's The Age of Puccini, released despite reported controversy between Kaufmann and his former record label.
Puccini's operas are considered a genre benchmark and remain among the most performed standards worldwide. The Italian composer's oeuvre has influenced media of all styles, from Jonathan Larson's swan song musical, Rent, to Weezer's 1996 album, Pinkerton.
Kaufmann's powerful vocal presence has captivated listeners since his German stage debut in 1994. Often hailed in publication as the "greatest living tenor," the singer told The Opera Blog he embraces the stage for its transcendent capacity to inspire both the performer and the public:
"Opera is a power house, a unique sort of magic and excitement. There is nothing like the thrill of an exciting live performance, with all those risks, and surprises, and that special chemistry between stage and audience; the combination of performed music, theatre and stage design. ... That's something you don't get in any other genre."
Generous with his talent but wary of backlash, Kaufmann selects forthcoming projects with much consideration. In an interview with the New York Review of Books, Kaufmann detailed his dedication to the art, while remaining cautious of its pitfalls:
"Making music is an art form like all the other art forms where ... spontaneity and passion are very important ingredients of success. If you lose the passion, everybody can hear and see it immediately, and that's a great danger."
View the trailer for An Evening with Puccini below.
