Could this be the next Domingo?

Could this be the next Domingo?

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norman lebrecht

January 29, 2021

That’s Decca’s headline claim for its new signing, 27-year-old British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso, ‘arguably the most exciting lyrico spinto tenor to emerge in over a decade’.

The press release pull quote reads: sounds like a youthful Italian Domingo with a gorgeous baritonal quality to the lower end, building up to a heart-rending top” Opera Now

Try some and see.

photo: Decca/Gibson

 

Comments

  • Holdtheline says:

    Great voice and sounds like a good technique. This is a tenor I don’t mind getting more publicity. Good on him.

  • batonbaton says:

    The tagging of a young artist as “the next x” or the like is tiresome, not to mention rather narrow-minded. Let the artist establish him or herself as their own individual and personality, rather than a pale immitation or carbon-copy. There have been too many “next Callas” etc that have not sustained the hype.

  • Novagerio says:

    He reminds me of Bonisolli. Hope it’s as strong on a stage as it is with a microphone (!) 😉

  • Alexander says:

    this is a record and a brief one , so the next question is on the volume of his voice and his highs… any way there is a lack of good tenors with big voices now ( unlike young lyric sopranos) … it wouldn’t be out of place if someone could find some amazing young coloratura ladies ( Granny Joan you are so deeply missed)

  • A.L. says:

    Or “Let’s see how long he lasts.”

  • RaggedyND says:

    In case everyone forgot what the REAL young domingo sounded like…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv6OdFDmg40

    It wasn’t heavy, it wasn’t darkened, and it didn’t have a tremulous, unsteady vibrato.

    It was a natural, bright, well supported sound… coming from an instrument that had its own natural unmanufactured beauty and richness.

    Wishing all the best to this new tenor, and I hope that he avoids the pitfalls of the current operatic industry.

  • Interisting to discover him. Today my favorite young bariton is Luca Salsi

  • Opera Lover says:

    Talented guy, but the voice sounds already cautiously hoarse and tired on that clip… easy, easy! There would be years to come, but the agencies go for quick-cashing jackpots. :/

  • goran.andersson says:

    I listened to him in the Vienna “Nabucco” last week and he seems to be in good form. A good strong voice that carries over the orchestra.

  • Nik says:

    He was outstanding as Cassio at the ROH, one of those moments when you wished he had a bigger role.
    He was scheduled as Cavaradossi in March but the whole series has been cancelled.

  • Dalledu Alletre says:

    “arguably the most exciting lyrico [sic] spinto tenor to emerge in over a decade”

    This is a reference to Decca’s last new lirico spinto tenor: Joseph Calleja, with whom the label made precisely one opera recording, a non-studio Simon Boccanegra. Given Decca’s latterday lack of effort on serious projects, it’s hard to grasp why anyone should care about de Tommaso’s signing (which is not to say we shouldn’t care about his performing career). He sings with Domingo, incidentally, on the Nabucco streamed last week.

  • JussiB says:

    I still remember the ‘next Pavarotti’ Salvadore Licitra, who died tragically in a car accident.

  • Bos says:

    The real Domingo wasn’t even the Legend Domingo for many, many years. Give him time to develop into his own artistry and reputation. Comparisons to Legends rarely makes on Legendary.

  • in bocca al lupo says:

    A wonderful, visceral, exciting tenor, heard him 4 years ago in audition and he stood out from the crowd in every respect. We need young talent of his quality to keep our art form alive so let’s get behind him, stop carping.

  • JussiB says:

    I’m still waiting for the next Florence Foster Jenkins.

  • Zvi says:

    Sounds like a pop star who does well….pop opera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25qCIlmEjGU

  • JussiB says:

    The only opera megastars are people like Bocelli and Groban, who pretend to sing opera but are really pop singers in disguise.

  • Tom Phillips says:

    This kind of hype is useful to no one – it would be nice to see some genuinely emerging talent succeed on their own terms rather than being the “next” whomever. In any case, one hopes that if indeed worthy of this title, this tenor will not seek to milk it into over six decades and retire when he is no longer capable of doing the music justice.

  • Madeleine Richardson says:

    Fabulous voice and has the looks as well. Let’s hope he has the acting skills of Placido Domingo.

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