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Driving home during rush hour the other night, I popped this new release by tenor Joseph Calleja into my CD player.  Within the first few minutes, I realized I had discovered a cure for road rage. 

As I listened to Calleja singing various arias, I was blanketed with warm, comforting thoughts. Calleja sings with such great feeling, and so effortlessly, the stress of the day just melted away. Later, this new recording, titled "The Golden Voice," provided the perfect accompaniment as I tossed salad and Italian pasta for dinner, with no complaints from my teenagers about the food or the music.

On his second solo recording, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja explores Italian and French arias. Some are popular favorites and others are forgotten jewels. What's intriguing about his choice of repertoire is that it demonstrates a sense of maturity in this 28-year-old singer. 

Calleja was a heavy-metal-loving teenager when went to see Mario Lanza in the movie, "The Great Caruso." He was so impressed he left the theater singing all the arias until his voice became hoarse. The turning point came when he visited his aunt in the United Kingdom. He borrowed her collection of Pavarotti arias, and he was hooked. At 15, he started taking piano and voice lessons. Five years later, in 1998, he won first prize in the Caruso Competition in Milan, Italy.

Once I started listening to this recording, I had to agree that Joseph Calleja has "The Golden Voice." The title of the CD is appropriate on so many levels. Calleja's voice is radiant and rich. He takes precious care with every note, and his interpretations are creative and well-suited for his voice. He has tremendous control, soaring through bold passages, yet holding back when necessary.

What makes opera work for me is a passionate performance, and on this new release Joseph Calleja delivers. Donizetti's "Una furtiva lagrima" ("One furtive tear") from "L'elisir d'amore" ("The Elixir of Love" ), is a favorite tenor aria for both the audience and the soloist. Light, percussive orchestration opens the aria with bassoons floating through the melancholy melody. Joseph Calleja's lyrical style makes his performance so believable. As I listen, I'm convinced he is the broken-hearted Nemorino singing of his lost love.

Joseph Calleja can sing almost anything because he knows how to make a connection with his audience. He may not be making eye contact, but on this recording he has no trouble connecting to the heart. That's why he completely captivates me when he sings love songs. In Bizet's "Pearl Fishers," Calleja offers a truly moving performance of the aria, "I hear as in a dream." His approach is so tender and graceful, like a gentle kiss. The delicate high note at the end is like a soft smile, a reassurance that everything will be okay.

Veteran opera conductor Carlo Rizzi leads the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on this recording. Together they provide the perfect frame for Joseph Calleja's voice. It's worth checking out sopranos Anna Netrebko and Tatiana Lisnic, each of whom makes a guest appearance on this release. But I found Calleja's solo arias much more alluring. Joseph Calleja is a promising young talent from whom we'll be hearing a lot more in the opera house and in the recital hall.

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Julie Amacher

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On his second solo recording, young Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja explores Italian and French arias. Some are popular favorites and others are forgotten jewels.

New Classical Tracks: The Golden Voice

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