RECORDINGS

The Mexican tenor, barely a decade into his international career, makes gorgeous sounds and sings charmingly in 15 arias from 14 operas. Stylistically versatile and healthy of voice he is, certainly. Compelling and thrilling? Very seldom. What he sings most convincingly, and with musical as well as tenorial thrust, are Jose’s Flower Song, Werther’s “Pourquoi me reveiller” and Faust’s “Salut! demeure . . . “ examples of pretty tone in the service of lyric ends. All the others, clearly acceptable and handsomely performed, seem to offer an abundance of mellowness and placidity, to the detriment of drama and energy.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).