~ Author: Mark Anthony Martinez II
Above: Juan Diego Florez
Thursday February 5th, 2026 – A night of encores from the famous operatic tenor Juan Diego Florez. Florez has been a staple of my own operatic upbringing for years, and I was excited to see him live for the first time. His famous renditions of Ah! mes amis are what I listened to as I was learning the piece, and even though he was mostly performing art songs the evening (or so I thought), I knew it would be a masterclass in performance.
The program was a typical recital format, with mostly art songs and some select arias from the most famous repertoire, real crowd pleasers.
The program started with Rossini’s Le sylvain, from Péchés de vieillesse, one of Rossini’s song cycles. The tenor and his long-standing collaborative pianist Vincenzo Scalera took the stage and, without an introduction, started the piece. It is a great song to start a program with because it has such a long piano introduction that it really set the stage.
Florez is known for his high tessitura and blazing coloratura, so it was interesting to hear him sing a song that was low and melancholic. He certainly lived up to being a leading tenor and didn’t merely sing the songs, but made this (and every) song into a dramatic moment.
Some singers prefer subtlety in performance, but Florez made great use of the full stage, essentially emoting everything from the songs.
Interestingly, Florez walked out after the first song and came back almost immediately once the next set was starting. It was an odd choice, since usually a performer might leave after an extended moment of singing. The two performers more or less followed this pattern the entire night.
I loved the Bellini set of art songs. Bellini, though more known for his operas, left a set of gorgeous art songs that have all of the Bellini color but are best suited for nights such as this. My favorite among the set was La ricordanza. It really showed off Florez’s impressive head voice in the right ways.
It was a real treat to hear a piano transcription of Bellini’s Almen se non poss’io played as a capstone to the set. Florez had left the stage, but Scalera played the beautiful aria as a great prelude of sorts. I loved that the performance wasn’t just a solo recital necessarily, but truly highlighted the artistry of both performers.
The last set before the intermission was by the last remaining titan of bel canto composers, Donizetti. Florez had to throw in a high note at some point and pleased the crowds at the end of Ah, rammenta, o bella Irene.
The crowd was were particularly reactive tonight compared to any other concert I’d been to. I love that the audience truly adored the music and Florez. I did feel at times that perhaps the admiration caused the crowd to react to every part of the performance instead of ones that might have been more justified. But I can’t be a hater for people who love music.
The second part of the program was more eclectic, but I actually liked it more. It felt like it was more at home in Florez’s identity. I loved Bella enamorada, and the long-held note in it was particularly exquisite.
The two songs that followed were in Spanish and really felt alive in Florez’s native tongue. The first was the song Sueña, guitarrico mío, from El guitarrico, and the second was from the zarzuela La alegría del batallón by Serrano. The second piece is a common tenor recital song, and Florez used the comedic aspects of it well to rally up the already very live audience.
The remaining songs on the program were aria classics, and surprisingly my favorite was the famous Che gelida manina by Puccini. I love Puccini, but Florez’s voice is better suited for the lighter side of opera. But without the giant orchestration, Florez beautifully captured the aria in all the right moments.
I knew there had to be at least one encore, but I had no idea what was going to happen. There was, secretly it seems, a third set of songs that were not in the program.
The first set of encores was actually my favorite set of the entire night. Florez strode out on stage with a guitar and accompanied himself in one Neapolitan song and two songs in Spanish. These were wonderful, and honestly, if he performed an entire night of these songs, I would go back in a heartbeat.
I thought that surely this must be the last of it, but no, there was more. I had already started to leave when the duo came back and sang the famous Ah! mes amis (a real full-circle moment for me). I figured there had to be more after this, so instead of leaving, I stayed seated. Florez and Scalera came out several more times and ended the night with Una furtiva lagrima by Donizetti, another classic and a perfect end to this secret third set.
~ Mark Anthony Martinez II
Oberon's Glade 