Works by:
Berlioz · Boito · Dvorák
Gounod · Offenbach · Mussorgsky
Rubinstein · Verdi · Wagner
Wholenote Discoverie - March 2009
Everything René Pape offers on “Gods, Kings and Demons” will be new to listeners, since this is his debut solo recording. But Pape has for some years been considered the outstanding operatic bass of his generation, with a burnished, warm sound that is commanding without being simply a wall of dark sound. This disc showcases his versatility as an artist – the Wagner, Verdi, and Gounod tracks stand out in particular. Sometimes extended scenes can sound out of place on recital discs, but Sebastian Weigle, conducting the superb Staatskapelle Dreden, gives both the longer and shorter selections unusual shape and dimension. Seth Estrin
“René Pape is an artist who thrills his audiences with charisma, intelligence and a one-in-a-million voice.” (Opera News)
Pape’s solo debut for DG gives an overview of the roles that have made his career plus a few rarities (e.g. the water goblin aria from Rusalka) . Accompanied by the Dresden Staatskapelle under Sebastian Weigle, Pape performs his signature piece: King Mark’s monologue from Tristan und Isolde, as well as arias from Verdi's Don Carlo, Gounod’s Faust (the role of Méphistophélès), Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and wonderful arias of the rarely performed Demon (Rubinstein) among others
The operatic roles on this album have to a large extend been performed by Pape to the highest critical acclaim in the world’s major opera houses, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Berlin Staatsoper