Puccini: Love Affairs

Puccini’s skill at writing well-crafted arias and duets with strong dramatic content gave him (eventually) huge successes in his lifetime, and he is one of a small handful of composers whose music can routinely sell out opera houses today. Much of Puccini’s secret lies in melodies that go straight for the emotional jugular, even if the love stories on show are sometimes less than wholesome.

But Puccini’s operas tug at the heart strings like no others. And here, we get the full spectrum of love affairs, courtesy of tenor Jonas Kaufmann and a selection of leading sopranos including Asmik Grigorian, Pretty Yende, and Sonya Yoncheva. Our first romantic pairing features La bohème’s Rodolfo and Mimì, breathlessly in love, despite having met moments before. There’s “Tu, tu, amore? Tu?” from Manon Lescaut, bringing memories of a past relationship, as true love battles material desires. And there’s “O Luigi! Luigi!” from Il tabarro, foreshadowing a tragic love triangle between Giorgetta, Michele, and Luigi.

Equally emotive duets from Tosca, La fanciulla del West, and Madama Butterfly also feature, all adding up to a feast of dramatic fervor and vocal brilliance.