Vittorio Grigolo: The Italian TenorSony Classical: 88697723842 ****

Italian tenors with looks, style and a fine voice are rare, and Vittorio Grigolo has all these attributes. He's been around for a while, but the past year has seen his Met debut, a considerable success in a broadcast of Rigoletto(with Placido Domingo singing the title role), and now this recital inviting comparison with his mentor, the late Luciano Pavarotti. As a boy soprano Grigolo was promoted as "Il Pavarottino" and, indeed, his fresh lyric tenor voice has some of the characteristics of that singer. His timbre is softer than the young Pavarotti was in the lower register, though he has a fine ringing top. Grigolo has sensitivity to the words, and in this recital he covers a wide range of the tenor repertoire from the lyricism of Una Furtive Lagrimato the heroics of Di Quella Pira. A tenor to watch in the future. See vittorio grigolo.com