Jonathan Lemalu.(Sound Recording Review)

* "SONGS" by Brahms, Schubert, Faure, Finzi and others. Vignoles, piano. No texts or translations. EMI 75203

The concept behind EMI's "Debut" series is simple: give promising young artists a chance to make their first records, and sell the discs at budget price. It's one of the few really good ideas to come from a classical record company in a very long time. The label has done a good job of identifying talent, too--Nathan Gunn, Katarina Karneus and Michelle DeYoung are among the singers who've been recorded--although the series is extensive enough to make one wonder how many of these musicians will actually go on to have a major recording career, especially on today's shrinking classical CD lists. Few will be wondering about Jonathan Lemalu, however, for this bass-baritone has the kind of big, beautiful voice that opera-lovers ream about. It's more bass than baritone, actually, which adds to the impression of inky richness, yet there is firmness, too--a solid backbone of tone that is strengthened by Lemalu's clear diction. And for such a youthful singer, his interpretations display remarkable musical maturity.

It takes some amount of chutzpah, for instance, for a twenty-six-year-old ...