Jose Cura: Verismo(Erato)If you think verismo - the blood-and-guts style of Italian opera which was all the rage circa 1900 - is a tad on the vulgar side, Jose Cura will make you think again. Cura would never stoop so low as to bring out an album of popular standards, and this collection places such footstomping favourites as Vesti la Giubba and Amor ti Vieta in context, adding companion pieces either from the same operas or from lesser-known works by the same composers - Leoncavallo's La Boheme, Giordano's Marcella. Cura's singing, with its fine phrasing, insightful interpretation and delicious pianissimi, is as far from the "belt 'em out" school of verismo performance as you could get, but don't worry: there's power and passion by the bucket-load here. Best tenor in the world? You bet: and a pretty hot conductor, too.

- Arminta Wallace