In this long‚ strenuous‚ tri­lingual programme‚ Sergei Larin acquits himself with a deal of vocal charisma and artistic acumen. His fundamentally lyrical voice now has pretensions‚ mostly fulfilled‚ to heroic roles. Latvian­born‚ Russian­trained‚ he long ago broke out of the confines of Russian repertory to prove his worth in Italian and French repertory (his impressive Covent Garden début was as Don José 10 or so years ago). Now he seems to be adding dramatic parts in German opera to his list of triumphs. In many senses he is a contender for the mantle of Domingo‚ whose timbre and voice production are not unlike his own. In verismo repertory there is a certain sameness to his approach‚ honest but not very individual‚ although he does put us in his debt by tackling a very difficult aria from Mascagni’s Isabeau and his ‘Nessun dorma’ has real panache. When he turns to Verdi‚ his readings become more specific. Riccardo’s Act 3 aria has the requisite pathos. Alvaro’s extended scena‚ one of the most difficult in the whole Verdi canon for tenor‚ begins with a plangent account of the recitative and moves into a finely phrased‚ moving reading of the aria‚ able to bear a comparison with many of those who have preceded him in this territory‚ even if the sheer ping of a Corelli isn’t there. In French‚ his version of Samson’s torment is truly felt‚ but Hoffmann’s Kleinsack aria is a shade heavy­handed. In German‚ Florestan’s anguish is graphically sung and portrayed‚ but – as with many tenors before him – he finds Beethoven’s writing in the final section straining his resources to the limit. Lohengrin’s narration is strongly voiced but misses the touch of mystic ecstasy it calls for. Larin receives excellent support from the conductor and his Slovakian forces. The booklet is a disgrace without a word about‚ let alone the texts of‚ the programme. Even so‚ at the price this is a recital not to be missed by anyone wanting this varied compilation of arias.