The latest CD release reviewed

OPERATIC ARIAS
Hao Jiang Tian, Bass; Slovak Radio symphony Occhestra. Conductor : Alexander Rahbari Naxos 8.557442
***** 

True operatic basses are rare, and a genuine basso profondo from China is a rarity indeed. Hao Jiang Tian grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution but had the good fortune to become an early student of the baritone Gino Bechi, the first Italian singer invited to teach in China after the reopening of the Beijing Central Conservatory. Since then he has become a staple at the New York Metropolitan, though this is his first solo recital. He has a fine bass voice with a warm timbre, even throughout the range and particularly suited to the Verdi repertoire. The Verdi arias on this disc are beautifully sung, with Il lacerato spirito - Fiescos's great lament from Simon Boccanegra - being particularly moving. Other lesser-known arias from the bass repertoire fill out what is a fine recital. www.naxos.com