Juan Diego Flórez

“Florez’s singing, at least, justifies Decca’s “Bel Canto Spectacular” trumpeting. Netrebko is a bit blowsy, Barcellona goes flat on her final note and Domingo, understandably, drops an octave lower than his younger colleague at the climax of their duet. Florez is fabulous in Tonio’s show stopper from the Italian version of Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, with nine top Cs. There may be more honeyed accounts of Una furtiva lagrima on disc, but his bright tone, superb diction and style are winning enough.” Sunday Times, 20th July 2008 ****

“The world's most sought-after "tenore di grazia" bounds in with his trademark pizzazz in his party-piece aria from Donizetti's La figlia del reggimento, capped by volleys of exuberantly pinging top Cs. We get another Flórez calling-card in a sweetly voiced "Una furtiva lagrima". Elsewhere this recital, true to its billing, becomes a bel canto celebration for Flórez and friends.” The Telegraph, 12th July 2008

“…the tenor's impeccable artistry, founded on the strongest of techniques plus - vitally - the keenest of expressive intentions, is in flamboyant evidence throughout.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 ****

“The opening track here is presumably Juan Diego Flórez's final word on the show-stopping aria from La fille du régiment. The rest of this attractive canter through the bel canto repertory finds our hero in robust form. This is very much a case of "Flórez and friends". Anna Netrebko contributes a touching Elvira to the great last-act duet from I Puritani, a very full version culminates in those stratospheric phrases taking the tenor up to the high D. Is there any more catchy Donizetti tune than the duet, "Da quel dì che t'incontra"? Flórez and Patricia Ciofi are not undermined by comparison with Sutherland and Pavarotti... The two extracts from L'elisir d'amore are both winning, with Mariusz Kwiecien as an exceptionally vivid Belcore.” Gramophone Magazine, 2008 Awards Issue

Many of these songs make full use of Flórez astonishing vocal technique which has taken him to all the great opera houses from Buenos Aires to Moscow. He sees the songs of Argentina's Carlos Gardel as the Latin equivalent of the classical songs of Schubert or Schumann and says of another Mexican song - "If you try to sing Júrame without a trained voice, you're going to die!"