I literally heard about Cesar Gutierrez about ten minutes ago, because a friend asked if I wanted to go see La Boheme in Bergen this week. Considering I’m in London at present I can’t, but it didn’t stop me from checking out the lead tenor – who had been brought in rather quickly instead of Sergio Blazquez due to throat problems. Although I think Sergio has a good sound (thicker sound than Cesar), I think Cesar’s voice is more suitable for La Bohéme – only judging by the two clips I’ve heard, of course.
Gutierrez is from Columbia but moved to Vienna in 1991 and has performed pretty much *everywhere* since: Austria, Spain, Norway, France, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Russia, Japan, Switzerland, North- and South-America as well as Turkey – to mention a few.
I think he has some of the same laser beam qualities that Nicolai Gedda has – only a bit heaver, from what I can gather based on recordings alone. They both have quite an exciting top end, I think. I don’t have an educated ear as such, but I think Gedda must be a lyrical spinto and I can’t imagine Gutierrez being different, as there are definitely spinto qualities in his voice. In other words, another one who could rip your head off 
Listen for yourself:
Cesar Gutierrez – Che Gelida Manina
