Daniel Taylor: Portrait
There's been a good deal of fanfare heralding the re-emergence of a  vocal species once considered endangered--namely, thecountertenor. This portrait  recital of one creamy-voiced exponent,Daniel Taylor, comprises the highlights of four previous recordings and shows to  great advantage the various aspects of his remarkable voice. Bravely, Taylor  begins the album with one of the greater challenges in the countertenor  repertoire, "Erbarme dich," from Bach'sSt. Matthew Passion. His  bravery pays off: this is a beautifully modulated account of a suffering soul  crying out for comfort. He can hit a note with icy purity and warm it through  with a careful vibrato, never letting the effect seem like a trick. His voice is  not as full-on luscious as that ofDavid Daniels, nor quite as melting as that ofAndreas Scholl, but Taylor does have an intelligent approach to the drama of the  music and a warm precision all his own. The Purcell selection (fromOn the Muse's Isle) and the  Dowland songs (fromTears of the  Muse) are exquisite; Taylor's delicately breathless account of "Come  againe" only makes this naughty song all the more teasing. There is one  disappointment--"Saget, saget" from Bach'sEaster Oratorio--which is  rushed and careless. But it's a blip on an otherwise beautiful album.--Warwick Thompson