Born in Argentina in 1962, he was a comparatively late starter, commencing his career as late as 1994. After initial encouragement in his homeland from Giuseppe di Stefano and Luciano Pavarotti he went to Europe where he achieved quick success in Venice, Genoa, Hamburg, London, Tokyo and Vienna.

He made his New York Metropolitan debut in 1998 in La Traviata and his Covent Garden debut in 2000. He has already made six CDs for Sony. He began singing in Verdi operas in the lighter, lyrical roles like the Duke in Rigoletto and Alfredo in La Traviata (neither of which is represented on this disc). From these, he progressed to slightly heavier roles like Rodolfo in Luisa Miller and Manrico in Il trovatore. These both appear on this disc, as do two of the most powerful Verdi tenor roles which Alvarez has not yet sung on the stage, Otello and Radames in Aida. He does justice to all the roles recorded here. His voice is powerful, steady and clear, perhaps wanting in warmth, but of good quality.

He is certainly alive to all the dramatic demands of these arias, so much so that listening to 14 arias in a row became something of an endurance test. His voice would probably be easier to take in the opera house. The singer’s only failing, vocally, are his low notes which are sometimes comparatively weak.