Jonas Kaufmann to Release 'MAGISCHE TÖNE' Operetta Album on Sony Classical
The tenor’s new operetta-focused recording will be released this April.
Jonas Kaufmann will release his new album MAGISCHE TÖNE (Magical Sounds) on April 10, 2026 via Sony Classical. Physical pre-orders are now available.
Recorded in Vienna and Budapest with the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra under conductor Dirk Kaftan, the album centers on operetta highlights from the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, alongside two major operatic arias. Soprano Nikola Hillebrand joins Kaufmann for several duets.
The repertoire includes works by Imre (Emmerich) Kálmán, Ferenc (Franz) Lehár, and Pál (Paul) Ábrahám, as well as selections by Fred Raymond, Nico Dostal, and Jenő Huszka. Kaufmann also performs “Hazám, hazám” from Ferenc Erkel’s Bánk bán and the title aria “Magische Töne” from Karl Goldmark’s Die Königin von Saba.
Kaufmann said of the project, “This era produced an incredible wealth of music. In retrospect, it is fortunate that the majority of these works were premiered in Vienna and written in German, because that meant they quickly achieved international success.”
Reflecting on the title aria, he added, “Someone once said to me: ‘Your loud notes are thrilling, but your soft ones drive me crazy.’ Dramatic sounds probably have more of an effect on the listener’s body and nervous system, while soft ones affect the heart and soul.”
Kaftan noted the importance of stylistic nuance in operetta repertoire, describing it as music in which “the most important things are not written in the score,” echoing Gustav Mahler’s well-known observation about interpretation.
The album highlights a period of musical creativity shaped by the cultural landscape of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918), reflecting both national identity and a cosmopolitan European tradition that ended with the First World War.
MAGISCHE TÖNE will be released digitally and on CD on April 10, 2026.
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