Wien

"Recording of the week: The gloss and glamour of the Viennese musicians' sound really is one of the glories of this new disc, and Ádám Fischer steers them with understated panache and imagination throughout. The Hungarian conductor has such a way with rubato that even long strophic songs feel like real unfolding narratives rather than just a perfunctory whirl around a gilded ballroom. Kaufmann's subtle word-painting helps, and he keeps most of his operatic fire-power on ice for the Léhar and Strauss evergreens".

Read review

"En sjuttio minutter lång orgie i wiendialekt och glissandon bitvis kryddad med skrälliga höjdtoner ... Den firade sångaren borde haft omdöme nog att inte ge sig i kast med en repertoar som i dag passar hans röst utomordentligt illa ... Wieneroperett är notorisk svårsjungen och kräver fingertoppskänsla i interpretationen! ... Ibland glimmar det ändå till, som i duetterna med sopranen Rachel Willis-Sørensen ... Musiken från Glada Änkan behandlas vackert av orkester, dirigenten Ádám Fischer och Willis-Sørensen. Men Jonas Kaufmann är inte lika övertygande ... Lyssna hellre på Rudolf Schock om ni letar efter en komplett operettenor".

"He embraces the style, the timbre, the allure, even the specific accent of this repertoire with complete conviction and self-evident delight. The great thing about these performances is that they sound 'lived in' ... There is so much to savour here - but above all it's the stylistic understanding (and in this experience and hindsight are invaluable) that carries all before it. There is a oneness, too, with his collaborators".