MOZART ARIAS: Raul Gimenez, tenor; Covent Garden...

MOZART ARIAS: Raul Gimenez, tenor; Covent Garden Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth. Nimbus NI 5300. The 40-year-old Gimenez within the last few years has been making a name for himself on the international opera circuit as a much-in-demand tenore leggiero--he appeared in “Barbiere” recently with Los Angeles Music Center Opera. These arias confirm that he is a knowing stylist and the possessor of an apparently smallish, rather monochromatic voice. He is able to manage the long lines in “Il mio tesoro” without gasping for breath and breaking phrases, a feat taken for granted years ago but increasingly rare these days. The lyricism of “Un aura amorosa” and “Dies Bildnis” show him to best advantage. However, when pressure is applied, as in “Tradito, schernito,” the voice can take on an unpleasant, nasal quality. Wordsworth supplies sympathetic accompaniment.