Bellini: I Puritani – Diana Damrau

   in Opera Now (Dec, 2017)
Diana Damrau becomes unhinged again in I puritani, filmed in Madrid, 2016. She and Ludovic Tézier reunited shortly after their London Lucias for more bel canto battiness and are even better than before.

Damrau displays the same coloratura facility, but sounds fresher and sweeter, and she outlines Elvira’s happiness, breakdown and recovery with dignity. Tézier’s baritone sounds even richer and firmer. Javier Camarena tackles the high-flying tenor role of Arturo as though it was of almost inconsequential difficulty, nailing every top C, C-sharp and D with panache; he wisely eschews the top F on which most tenors die in the attempt. It is truly thrilling singing, even more so in duet …