JOSE CURA, Verismo, Philharmonia Orchestra (Erato)—Verismo opera, characterized by “realistic” blood-and-guts plots, calls for that unique combination of forceful, beautiful singing and absolute conviction frequently missing from today’s operatic stages. On this disc, singer/conductor Jos頃ura, the handsome 37-year-old Argentinean hunk of a tenor, does all he can to sing the pants off both familiar and rarely recorded Italian verismo arias composed between 1892 and 1917 (Giordano’s “Amor ti vieta,” from Fedora, and Cavallo’s “Vesti la jiubba,” from Pagliacci, for example). Cura, pictured crawling across the album’s back cover and twice in the liner notes conducting in a very beefy T, is that breed of tenor one might wish to encounter horizontally rather than vertically. He securely delivers the vocal and orchestral goods with alternately tender and gruff singing. While his phrasing and technique sometimes thrill, they are ultimately, disappointingly prosaic, and there’s little indication of the gift of genius that can transform melodramatic music into enduring art. I prefer the sweetness and beauty of Bjoerling, the macho metal of Corelli, the glorious generosity of Domingo, or the absolute rightness of Caruso or Gigli in this repertoire, but I sure wouldn’t kick Cura out of my CD player before giving him a chance to show me what he’s got. Fabulous 24-bit sound gives this man’s striking instrument and the Philharmonia Orchestra the treatment they deserve, but frankly, Cura’s energy reminds me of someone who might leave one feeling a bit sore in the morning—once is enough.