Bryn Terfel, Bad Boys (Deutsche Grammophon)
Rating: * * * *
Verdict: "An operatic walk on the wild side (with a wink or two)"
Bryn Terfel's Bad Boys album is a highly entertaining line-up of villains delivered with the Welsh bass-baritone's customary panache. The scoundrels range from Verdi's Iago and Weber's Kaspar to the ultimate Bad Boy, Satan himself, who makes two appearances, courtesy of Boito and Gounod. The French composer's jaunty salute to the Golden Calf is a devilishly playful affair.
Expect goosebumps when Terfel's Scarpia and the Swedish Radio Choir come together in that mash of lust and religion that brings down the first act curtain of Tosca. Some villains are not quite so vividly realised - in Kaspar's torrent of revenge, Terfel sometimes seems to be concentrating on keeping up with Weber's merciless demands. Perhaps one might have expected a little more snap ' n' gnash from Beethoven's Pizarro in his big vengeance aria and Sportin' Life's It Ain't Necessarily So, rifled from the tenor songbook, needs an injection of evil.
But who could resist Gilbert and Sullivan's When The Night Wind Howls in which the only mildly villainous Sir Roderic Murgatroyd and his gaggle of chorusing ghosts outline the fun to be had on the dark side. The stylish contribution of the Swedish Radio Symphony under Paul Daniel reminds one, yet again, how under-estimated Sullivan is as a composer.
One might think that Terfel would have needed assistance in the final trio from Don Giovanni, but no, he plays the Don, Leporello and the Commendatore. And it's indubitably clever in a distracting sort of way.
The Epiphany from Sondheim's Sweeney Todd sneaks in Swedish mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter as the pie-making Mrs Lovett, with a Cockney accent that would get her into EastEnders. The pair have immense fun here, almost eradicating unpleasant memories of the zombie-like vocalising of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in the Tim Burton film.
One quibble. Deutsche Grammophon has economised with a minimal booklet. Libretto and translations would have been a boon, especially in the Donizetti and Rossini arias where Terfel makes so much of the words. William Dart
