Great Baritone Arias

"Swedish baritone Peter Mattei is a great singer, with a natural, unforced and warm tone and a gift for bringing a character to life. A particular highlight of the disc is the scene from Don Carlo where he sings the Marquis of Posa. Lavishing seemingly inexaustible reserves of golden tone on its long lines he conveys all the idealism and nobility of Verdi's phrases. Has Don Giovanni's serenade ever been sung more seductively on disc? Mattei has a way of singing that balances accuracy of intonation and verbal clarity with beauty and variety of tone and a wonderful sense of phrasing. This is a very special recital and an instant staff favourite here."
Simon and Keith@Marbecks

"Hey you, collections of tenor and soprano recordings on the CD shelves! Move to one side and make room for an outstanding baritone disc! Peter Mattei is now in his prime, and his voice miraculously preserves the freshness and vibrancy of youth. His fast notes are excellently articulated, his slow ones are just beautiful. His voice is instantly recognizable. It is not as muffled as Hvorostovky, not as watery as Hampson and not as dark as Gobbi. It is straight, clear and never shows its limits - as if there are no limits, and the singer just decides to draw the cut exactly where he chooses. A glorious disc!"
(MusicWeb Recording of the Month MusicWeb Jukly 2011)

The Swedish baritone Peter Mattei has made a formidable reputation for himself performing at the most prestigious opera houses in the world: the Metropolitan, Teatro alla Scala and Covent Garden, to mention but a few. He first came to the attention of an international audience when Peter Brook selected him as his Don Giovanni, for an Aix-en-Provence production which was later filmed. Something of a 'director's opera singer', Mattei has also worked with Ingmar Bergman, Michael Haneke and Patrice Chereau, and regularly astounds audiences with his exceptional acting skills, coupled as they are with a voice of rare beauty. In the recording studio he is, however, a more rarely seen guest. On this his first and long-awaited disc of arias, he revels in the rich opportunities offered by the baritone literature, performing a selection of his favourite arias and roles. Lovelorn young men and cynical libertines, friends faithful unto death and innocent victims of oppression - all of these are brought to life as one of today's finest operatic baritones displays his entire range with the eminent support of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra andLawrence Renes on the podium.