Forbidden Love
This is tenor Salvatore Licitra's second solo CD and it is better than the first. The voice remains exciting, a true tenor with a sold top and an even range. His tendency to sing at one volume level (relatively loud) remains, but he does make some effort to shade his tone here. The aria fromMefistofeleis sung gently, at times sweetly and with the right air of pensiveness; Chenier's last act aria is mournful and sensitive. Elsewhere, his "Dio mi potevi" fromOtellois simply stunning--big and rueful, lacking only those special insights to bring the character vividly to life. But his tone is grand and pure. His "Vesti la giubba" is restrained but emotional. Licitra remains a good singer who has yet to leave a truly individual stamp on any work (as does, say, Rolando Villazon), but he's the real ticket: a true Italian tenor with a handsome voice.--Robert Levine