After Jonas Kaufmann impressed audiences as Siegmund and Lohengrin, he now turns his attention to new Wagner roles and rarely performed works. Among the pieces to be heard are the original Grail Narrative and the little-known Wesendonck Lieder for tenor. The Munich-born tenor is currently considered unsurpassed in vocal brilliance, dramatic finesse, and artistic presence. In recent years, he has dedicated himself with great consistency to the Wagner repertoire, establishing himself as a benchmark both on and off the opera stage. While other singers may possess respectable voices, they often lack the expressiveness, stamina, and stage presence that distinguish Kaufmann.
In a field still dominated by singers who lack Kaufmann's energetic timbre and stage presence, he is setting new standards. With his latest album, which combines excerpts from Die Walküre, Siegfried, Rienzi, Tannhäuser, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Lohengrin, he impressively demonstrates his full vocal range. Stereoplay praises his performance: "Jonas Kaufmann's singing reaches a level that other Wagnerian tenors can only dream of." His success has established Kaufmann as a worthy successor to Peter Hofmann and lends new brilliance to the Wagnerian tenor repertoire.