MARC HERVIEUX TENOR ARIAS YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN ORCHESTRE MÉTROPOLITAIN ACD2 2618 Marc Hervieux delivers superb renditions of favourite Italian arias on this blockbuster ATMA Classique recording.   After the extraordinary success of Le premier Noël (ATMA Classique’s best selling CD in 2009), Marc Hervieux presents his second CD on the label.   Tenor Arias is devoted to the most beautiful arias from Italian operas by Puccini, Verdi, Mascagni, and Leoncavallo.   With the exception of the excerpt from La Traviata, all the pieces on this CD are by members of the Young Italian School.   These were Verdi’s successors, Italian composers active at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.   The typical tenor of the Young Italian School is also passionately in love, and all the nine arias performed on this CD are, basically, love songs. Under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Orchestre Métropolitain accompanies the popular tenor, and plays instrumental extracts from operas including the Intermezzo from Cavaleria Rusticana by Leoncavallo, and the very rarely heard Preludio sinfonico by Puccini. Turandot - Puccini, Giacomo   1. Non piangere, Liù!     2:39   2. Nessun dorma     3:08 Cavalleria Rusticana - Mascagni, Pietro   3. Mamma, quel vino e generoso     4:28   4. Intermezzo     3:44 Tosca - Puccini, Giacomo   5. Recondita armonia     2:49   6. E lucevan le stelle     3:41 Manon Lescaut - Puccini, Giacomo   7. Intermezzo     5:21 L’arlesiana - Cilea, Francisco   8. E la solita storia del pastore     4:40 Pagliacci - Leoncavallo, Ruggero   9. Vesti la giubba     3:46 La Bohéme - Puccini, Giacomo 10. Che gelida manina     4:54 La Traviata - Verdi, Giuseppe 11. Lunge da lei per me… De' miei bollenti spiriti     3:48 Puccini, Giacomo 12. Preludio sinfonico     9:32 ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879