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This collection represents Jose Van Dam at his best. The two arias from Faust are a little low for him but he sings them with great musicality. The aria from Mireille which is a rarity is sung brilliantly. Mr. Van Dam gets up to those high notes so easily. This collection mostly contains French Repertoire which was ideal for his voice. Several of the arias are rarely performed and I think should be performed more often. The few German selections are very effective as well. I think he was one of the finest Brahms Requiem soloists of all time.
Mr. Van Dam is still singing well at age 65. I think he is one of the finest singers and musicians because everything he sings means something to him internally. That is something that defines a great artist for me. I highly recommend this collection because it is a tool for singers to learn how to pronounce French properly. The diction is so clear that you can practically write it down.
