Released on the Pentatone label in mid-May under the title Vincerò!, the recording features a selection of arias by Puccini, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Giordano and Cilea, with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana conducted by Marco Boemi.
Gramophone critic Marc Pullinger writes that “it’s refreshing to hear a tenor tackle this repertoire with such apparent ease, for this is a simply wonderful disc.”
He adds that in the Recondita armonia aria from Puccini’s Tosca, Beczała’s voice sounds crisp and supple.
“A winner of an album, indeed,” writes Gramophone in closing.
Vincerò! marks Beczała’s transition from a lyrical tenor repertoire to more dramatic “verismo” roles.
Since the start of his international career at the Zurich Opera in the early 1990s, Beczała has appeared in the most prestigious venues, including London’s Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
In 2018 he received the International Opera Award for best singer.
(mk/pk)