One of the world's greatest tenors is making his return to the stage as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations at the Sydney Opera House.
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German singer Jonas Kaufmann has been unwell for several months and was forced to cancel several highly anticipated performances in Europe.
Since December, the star tenor had struggled with coughing and mucous in his lungs that affected his breathing while singing.
The cause was a mystery, but doctors recently discovered an drug-resistant bacteria was to blame.
Thankfully for Australian opera fans, Kaufmann is now back in top form - just in time to play Enzo in a concert performance of Ponchielli's La Gioconda.
"My voice is very refreshed through a big gap of not singing and the lung is back in function, so I'm good to go," the singer told AAP.
He would be capable of producing "acceptable sound" with his last breath, Kaufmann jokes, but timed his return to ensure he could fulfil the audience's expectations - and his own standards.
The tenor is regarded by several critics as the greatest in the world, renowned for his technical prowess and the drama he brings to roles in French, German and Italian.
In Australia, he most recently starred in Lohengrin at the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2022, and he will sing La Gioconda with Spanish soprano Saioa Hernandez conducted by Pinchas Steinberg.
The audience isn't missing anything with an "in concert" version of the opera, Kaufmann said, because it allows the audience to concentrate on the voices and the orchestra.
"When you really know your role, your story, you can throw into your phrases the matching emotions ... the musical impact is so much bigger," he said.
Sometimes staging can distract from musical storytelling, creating more problems than it solves, he said - especially with La Gioconda, which calls for ships to be set on fire.
Kaufmann has brought his large family with him to Sydney and says there is much to celebrate at the Opera House.
"It is a landmark, from day one it has been something special... it is a privilege to be here for the anniversary."
La Gioconda in concert is at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday and Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
