Mario Frangoulis Sometimes I Dream.(Sound Recording Review)

[] "SOMETIMES I DREAM" Songs by Rota, Wood, Frangoulis, Hayward, Cano, Piovani et al. Texts and translations. Odyssey SK 89805

Handsome Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, a successful recording artist for Sony Classical in Greece, makes his bid for an international audience with this CD of romantic songs with a strong Mediterranean feel. Frangoulis, just under thirty-five, already has had an eclectic career and training program: London's Guildhall School for acting; Juilliard for voice, which led to private lessons with the late Alfredo Kraus; West End appearances as the romantic leads in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, and classical theater in Greece, as well as Grease in Greece.

Although Frangoulis seems to have no opera resume--he has sung at La Scala, but it was in West Side Story--he does have an operatic voice, one of three voices he uses in delivering these songs. The other two are a breathy, straight-toned pop voice and an intermediate "legit"-style production, perfect for canzone. On first hearing, the mixing of all these vocal styles, particularly when done within a single song, makes it difficult to decide just who this artist is. But repeated listenings establish this mix of styles as a clever and convincing approach; Frangoulis successfully avoids being pigeonholed as an opera singer. In fact, Frangoulis might give Andrea Bocelli a run for his money (money being the operative concept here). One caveat is that many of the songs on the program--almost all worthwhile individually--are in minor keys, rhythmically similar, and begin softly and build to a big operatic finish. A certain sameness pervades.

But there are several winners--not among them the tide song, "Sometimes I Dream," which is Frangoulis's tribute to his favorite aria, "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca. It is delivered with a steady beat beneath it and interwoven with verses of the singer's own composition. Puccini-lovers doubtless will hate this, while neophytes will discover the Puccini aria and ...