José Cura was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1962. He trained as a guitarist and conductor, having originally set out to pursue a career in rugby, and only began serious vocal training in his twenties. His first professional engagements were in contemporary repertoire, including works by Henze and Bibalo, but he came to international prominence in 1994 after winning the International Operalia Competition: major house debuts followed, including Stiffelio at Covent Garden and Turiddu at the Met. His imposing physical presence, stage charisma and dark, weighty timbre have brought him considerable success in heroic spinto roles, and he is particularly renowned as Otello, Samson, Radames and Calaf.

Cura enjoys a flourishing conducting career alongside his operatic work, often conducting and singing on the same programme, and is also heavily involved with education work and the development of young singers: he works closely with British Youth Opera and New Devon Opera, amongst others, and is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music.

 

"Luckily the faults of the original piece and the sometimes frankly ridiculous staging choices here are frequently overcome by the commanding lead performance of Argentinian tenor José Cura, one of the most legendarily agile voices in opera today and one who brings his formidable brilliance to bear, providing Edgar what fitful life it has. Cura has an uncommonly large range and though Puccini provides the role with artfully high arias, the underlying gravitas of Cura's voice lends this interpretation a literal depth and tragic nuance it might not have otherwise."  Blu-Ray reviews, September 27, 2009

 

Puccini:  Edgar

 

Featuring José Cura, Amarilli Nizza, Julia Gertseva & Marco Vratogna

 

Live Recording from The Teatro Regio di Torino 2008

---

Orchestra and Chorus of The Teatro Regio di Torino, Yoram David (conductor) & Lorenzo Mariani (stage director); Set and Costume Design by Maurizio Balò

World Premiere Recording on DVD

A fake death, a perverse woman and a pure woman, a man torn between them, a murder: the story of Edgar, Giacomo Puccini’s second opera, is full of dramatic turns of events. Arthaus Musik presents this powerful and tragic opera now in a version which was count for lost for nearly 120 years.

For the first time the original version in four acts of Edgar by Giacomo Puccini was staged at the Teatro Regio in Turin in 2008. Thanks to the rediscovery of the manuscript score, after 119 years since the first and only performance in Milan in 1889 and after numerous versions condensing the opera in three acts, it will be again possible to experience the original opera that Puccini wrote. It was only when the American Puccini expert Linda B. Fairtile began reconstructing the original orchestration of the almost 40-minute final act that the composer’s granddaughter, Simonetta Puccini, came up with the intact score. José Cura, acclaimed all over the world for his intense interpretations, is Edgar. His rich and brilliant tenor voice, together with his fascinating stage presence, make him one of the most charismatic and sought-after artists in the world. With him, two prima donnas, two artists of great charm and with skyrocketing careers: the Italian soprano Amarilli Nizza and the Russian mezzo-soprano Julia Gertseva.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1 Picture Format: 16:9 DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC Subtitle Languages: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES, Japanese

Running Time: 157 mins FSK: 0 Region Code: 0 ArtHaus Musik 101 377

 

"In Lorenzo Mariani's Turin production, the action is transposed from the 14th century to the time of the Risorgimento. Act 1 finds everyone dressed in white for a summer picnic. When Edgar and Tigrana have escaped to the city in Act 2, it looks like a production of Traviata, with all the men in top hats and the girls in red feathers. Act 3, though, goes with terrific zest, José Cura as Edgar in disguise, holding forth with burnished tone, and Amarilli Nizza singing "Addio, mio dolce amor" - the one passage that has become fairly well known - with considerable feeling.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2009

 

"This performance, honouring Puccini’s 150th, is headed by the great Argentinean José Cura, so successful in Italian ‘heldentenor’ repertory (Trovatore, Otello). He is heartrending in his immersion into Edgar’s character. ..." The Whole Note 

"José Cura turns Otello into a raging animal.  Stalking the stage like a wounded lion, he turns from conquering hero into a haunted figure tortured with jealousy.  When Otello savagely cries for vengeance, Cura dominates the stage.  When he collapses to the floor at the end of Act III, spasmodic sobs rack his body.  His cries pierce the plaintive English horn solo that opens the final act.... This intense Otello stuns both the ear and the eye."  Opera News

 

Verdi: Otello

 

Featuring José Cura, Krassimira Stoyanova, Lado Ataneli, Vittorio Grigolo

Conductor:  Antonio Ros-Marbá ; Orchestra/Ensemble:  Barcelona Teatro Liceo Orchestra,  Barcelona Teatro Liceo Chorus

Live Recording from Gran Teatro Liceu 2007

The first of Verdi's two late Shakespearian operas stands as one of the great masterpieces of grand opera. José Cura, ranked among the world's leading interpreters of Verdi's music, takes the title role in Willy Decker's profound and intense production, recorded live at the Liceu, Barcelona in 2006 in true surround sound and filmed with high definition cameras.

This is Willy Decker's acclaimed minimalist and symbolic production originally created for La Monnaie.

 

Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Language: Italian (DTS 5.1), Italian (PCM Stereo) Subtitles: Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish Region: All Regions Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2 Studio: Opus Arte DVD Release Date: February 27, 2007 Run Time: 151 minutes ASIN: B000LSBMV2

Also in Blu-Ray

"José Cura has the vocal colouring, the power and strength, but above all the dramatic temperament that this colossal Verdi character demands." -- El Pais

 

"José Cura remains a somewhat frustrating singer--he strains, sings at half voice more often than he ought to (he seems to be saving his voice rather than obeying dynamic markings), and occasionally makes truly unappealing sounds. But when he opts for sheer power or emotional truth, he is breathtaking--more Vickers than Domingo in his raw brutality and equally raw fragility. I can honestly say that before seeing this performance I had never been even remotely moved by a performance of Cura's, either live or recorded, but this is a deeply thought-out, thrilling performance you won't soon forget."   ClassicsToday

 

"Cura gives a passionate, sturdy performance, marking him as one of the few tenors on the scene today able to perform the role in a convincing manner. Cura's throaty timbre can grate in more lyrical roles; here that very thick sound reinforces Otello's masculine authority. .." Opera Today

"This 2006 performance finds José Cura fully immersed in the drama of the title role. Chénier's Act II dialogue with Roucher makes an especially powerful impression, with the poet obviously in agony not knowing the identity of the woman who wrote to him. The tenor offers gratifyingly secure vocalism throughout, giving maximum vocal thrill to all the set-pieces." Opera News

 

"... passion is what [Cura] emits in this role from the very first appearance, with a glowing Un di all’azzurro spazio. He sings the furious Si fu soldato in the trial scene (act III) with no safety net. The sad Come un bel di di maggio in the last act is begun almost as a dream, lightly sung with some embellishments to the line before he opens out to a heartfelt, glorious climax, greeted with ovations from the audience. By his side, just as in the La Scala Manon Lescaut, he has the charming, expressive, warm Maria Guleghina, whose vibrant voice is a perfect foil for Cura’s impassioned Chenier."  Music Web International

 

Giordano:  Andrea Chénier

 

Featuring José Cura, Maria Guleghina, Carlo Guelfi

Live Recording from The Teatro Comunale di Bologna 2006

This brand new production from January this year comes from the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, one of the most important theatres in Italy. Giordano’s tragic tale of revolution and doomed love was a huge success at both its European and American premieres and provides a technically challenging role for its lead.

Star tenor José Cura takes on the challenge, relishing the heroic part of Andrea Chénier, a historic poet during the French Revolution. His partner is the dramatic soprano Maria Guleghina, a key exponent of Verismo opera, and the demanding part of Maddalena belongs to her most successful roles. Carlo Guelfi is one of Italy’s leading baritones, who sings regularly at La Scala and in Florence and is perfectly at home in this repertoire.

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound,  Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Language: English Subtitles: English, French Region: All Regions Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1 Studio: Tdk DVD Video DVD Release Date: July 25, 2006 Run Time: 123 minutes ASIN: B000FS9JBS

 

"This production's Chénier is the Argentine tenor José Cura. He sang Chénier's two major arias on his "Verismo" CD, and his performance here remains similar – heroic, yet thoughtful. This is a much subtler interpretation than Mario del Monaco's and Corelli's. Cura is handsome, credible, and, at times, quite touching. (I confess to getting choked up during "Un dì, all'azzurro spazio.")..."Raymond Tuttle, Classical Net

 

“…in repertoire that can often encourage excessive histrionics, Cura's singing, besides demonstrating first-rate intonation and consistent technical security, is also utterly disciplined (listen, for example, to the 'Improvviso' from Andrea Chénier)....” Fanfare

 

 

Verdi Gala 2004: Buon compleanno Maestro Verdi

2004 - Dynamic

 

Opera's finest gather annually at the Teatro Regio di Parma to pay homage to Giuseppi Verdi with scene selections from the maestro's catalog. One of the most recent fetes, Verdi Gala 2004, is now available in this two-hour home release. Presented back to back are aria extracts from Giovanna d'Arco, Atilla, Macbeth, I Masnadieri and Il Corsaro, as interpreted by the vocalists Elena Borin, Alessandra Canettieri, Luca Casalin, José Cura, Vladimir Stoyanov, Riccardo Zanellato, Leo Nucci and others. The Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio di Parma provide musical accompaniment.

 

Format:   DVD Region:   Region 1 Release:  24 Jan 2006 Item ID:  490565  Runtime:   126 mins

 

Elijah Moshinsky’s production is surely as lively and moving as Verdi’s intricate masterpiece deserves. José Cura sizzles. Dimitri Hvorostovsky is everything one could want to see and hear in a Verdi baritone. This new “trovatore” DVD is a reminder that not every golden age happened long ago.’  San Francisco Chronicle

 

 

Verdi:  Il trovatore

 

Featuring José Cura, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Yvonne Naef, Veronica Villaroel

Conductor: Carlo Rizzi; Direction: Elijah Moshinski / Dante Ferretti

Recorded live at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

2002 - BBC / Opus Arte

José Cura and Dmitri Hvorostovsky lead the star cast of Verdi's blazingly passionate opera, in Elijah Moshinsky's new Royal Opera House production, co-produced with Teatro Real Madrid, with sets by the noted Italian film designer Dante Ferretti.

One of Giuseppe Verdi's most passionate and romantic operas has been given an opulent production in this staging by Elijah Moshinsky, with sets designed by noted production designer Dante Ferretti. Set in 15th century Spain, Il Trovatore tells the story of Manrico, a gypsy troubadour who has fallen in love with the duchess Aragon; however, the Count di Luna is also attracted to Aragon, and when he attempts to take her from Manrico, the troubadour takes the count's life in a duel, not realizing they were, in fact, brothers, and that his mother Azucena actually stole him from a family of royals many years ago. This version of Il Trovatore features Jose Cura, Veronica Villarroel, Yvonne Naef, and Dmitry Hvorostovsky. Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

SPECIAL FEATURES -- Meet the Cast, All about Schlager, Behind the Scenes, Illustrated Synopsis, Illustrated Booklet

Format: Classical, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC Language: Italian with English Subtitles Region: All Regions Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number of discs: 1

Studio: BBC / Opus Arte DVD Release Date: November 19, 2002 Run Time: 139 minutes ASIN: B00007CVSH

 

‘All four are in excellent voice. Cura...supports Naef with beautiful quiet singing... Hvorostovsky is formidable... There are two other filmed Trovatore’s available at present. For a combination of musical excellence and intelligent production neither comes close to this one.’   International Record Review

Note: This DVD is NOT available in North America;  it is not coded for North American region and will not play in all DVD players. We have no indication of when (or if) it will be released 'region free.'

 

Verdi:  La Traviata a Paris

Recorded live on site in Paris,

2007 - RAI Cinema

Video: DVD-9, Area 2 (Europe/Japan), 16:9 Audio: Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1. Subtitle: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Greek. Running time: 120 min

Artists: José Cura, Eteri Gvazava, Rolando Panerai

Conductor: Zubin Mehta

Direction: Giuseppe Patroni Griffi

Check out the video

Jose Cura - A Passion for Verdi

A Verdi centenary concert given at London's Barbican Centre. Performed by José Cura and Daniela Dessi with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by José Cura and Pier Giorgio Morandi.

 

Gran Gala di Verdi

 

Recorded live at the Teatro Padiglione Palacassa, Parma, 11 March 2001

Featuring Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, José Cura, Marcelo Alvarez, Barbara Frittoli, Daniela Dessì, Ruggero Raimondi, Leo Nucci

Coro del Festival Verdi
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Zubin Mehta, conductor

 

Bonus:  Behind-the-Scenes Picture Gallery

Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic Sound format: DD Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 Subtitles: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish Booklet notes: English, German, French Running time: 182 mins No. of DVDs: 1

Some of the finest singers of our time assembled in Parma to honour the maestro's memory in a Gran Gala di Verdi

The brilliant composer wrote 28 operas in all. Some of them were world successes and remain fixtures in every opera house's repertory

Featuring high-profile soloists such as Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, José Cura, Marcelo Alvarez, Barbara Frittoli, Daniela Dessì, Ruggero Raimondi and Leo Nucci, this DVD demonstrates better than any single opera does the breadth of Verdi's genius and melodic talent

A brilliant concert, fabulous singing - this is a must have for Verdi fans!

 

Puccini:  Tosca

 

Featuring José Cura, Francesca Patané, and Renato Bruson

Recorded Live at the Arena della Vittoria, Bari, 2000

 

The role of Tosca seemed to be made for Francesca Patané. In the role of a jealous diva in love, Patané has a rich and versatile temperament. She vibrantly expresses her personality as an actress with fine incisiveness, yet she is also capable of moments of poetic passion, as in her Vissi d'arte which inflames the audience's enthusiasm with its sincerity. José Cura is a Cavaradossi of glowing vocal splendor, with crystal diction, indisputable mastery of the vocal line, with power and a consistent expressive quality. His thundering performance of Vittoria is a vivid and moving experience, and his E lucean le stelle is rich in flute-like passionate notes. The great baritone Renato Bruson brings to the role of Scarpia his usual extraordinary vocal performance. His interpretation of Scarpia, crushed between relentless passion for Tosca and the demands of political duty, is expressed with nobility. Enrico Castiglione has directed the work with tremendous originality and dramatic power, heightening with a modern and cinematic style a traditional setting of extraordinary effectiveness, and his sets avoided unorthodox solutions and exalt the intrinsic musical and theatrical values of Puccini's masterpiece. Conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi provides a sustained energy with sensitive elation in the moments of high tension. This performance was acclaimed as an operatic event, and the superstar cast makes it a Tosca for the ages.

Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC Language: English Region: Region 0 Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1

Studio: Kultur Video DVD Release Date: May 14, 2002 Run Time: 123 minutes ASIN: B000067IYI

 

With this 2000 production, a new generation steps powerfully into the romantic lead roles in Puccini's verismo shocker: Francesca Patané, daughter of the noted conductor Giuseppe Patané, and José Cura, a young tenor who seems destined for a major career. The performance is impressive--almost amazing, considering that this video originates in a provincial opera house, not La Scala, Rome, or Verona. Sets and costumes are sumptuous, conducting is expert, and the director has a fine sense of which details matter.  -- Joe McLellan

 

José Cura

In concert Budapest 2000

2008 - Cuibar / Bravissimo

Artists: José Cura.

Conductor: José Cura, Janos Acs

Failoni Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera

Extras: "Star without cult", interview to José Cura

This musically themed release from tenor José Cura includes selections from "Manon Lescaut", "La Boheme", and more.

José Cura needs very little introduction. As well as being an operatic star, this Argentinean tenor is a trained composer and conductor. This concert was recorded live in the Erkel Theatre in Budapest in 2000 and also features an interview from 2008, 'Star Without Cult'

Video: PAL 4:3, all regions Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Languages: English, Hungarian Running time: 127

NOTE:  This DVD is not easy to find.  It was released as a 'farewell' to Riccardo Chailly as he prepared to leave the Royal Concertgebouw and was designed primarily for those in country.  The copy we have does not play on North American DVD players (at least not the ones we have!).  A quick survey of websites selling DVDs did not find this title to be available.

 

Il trittico

2000 - BMG / Ricordi

Il Tabarro (Juan Pons; Stephanie Friede; José Cura)

Suor Angelica (Cristina Gallardo-Domas; Jane Henschel; Daniela Barcellona)

Gianni Schicchi (Bruno de Simone; Elisabetta Scano; Daniela Barcellona; Aquilles Machado)

Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Riccardo Chailly, cond.
RCO LIVE DVD 04001 (2 channel) TT: 158 min.

Outgoing music director Riccardo Chailly's interest in opera is reflected on these performances from the Christmas concerts of Puccini's Trittico, Il Tabarro from 1998, Suor Angelica from 1999 and Gianni Schicchi from 2000. All are televised concert performances in the Concertgebouw, with minimal movement by the singers; they walk on and off stage as necessary. The small choruses are off-stage in the audience. All three are superbly presented with first-class singers, but the real stars are members of the Royal Concertgebouw and Chailly who play Puccini's scores with exquisite beauty and attention to detail. Camera work is exemplary, the stereo sound as natural as it could be. DVD presentation leaves much to be desired. Each opera has only one track so you'll have to do a lot of fast-forwarding to get to favorite sections. Subtitles are available only in Dutch. There is a brief bonus, a brief commentary by Chailly on Puccini and how he portrays women in his operas. This is spoken in English with Dutch surtitles. As of now this DVD can only be obtained in Europe. 

 

 

José Cura: In Passione Domini Concerto (2000)

 

At the turn of the millennium, the Pope called for a series of concerts to commemorate the passing of time; the resulting series, shot in the legendary Basilica in Rome and called the Jubilaeum Collection 2000 A.D., celebrated the best in classical hymns, requiems, and arias. This installment, In Passione Domini Concerto, celebrated the Easter holiday with a performance by tenor José Cura, performing compositions by Bach, Verdi, and Berlioz. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Track Listing: Were You There? (Easter Spiritual), Sometimes (Easter Spiritual), Nobody Knows (Easter Spiritual), Ave Verum Corpus (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), Te ergo Quaesumus, da TeDeum (Hector Berlioz), Adagio (Tommaso Albinoni), Ingemisco, dalla Messa da Requiem (Giuseppe Verdi), Agnus Dei, da Misa Crolla (Ariel Ramirez), Wir seizen uns, dalla Passione secondo San Matteo (Johan Sebastian Bach), Ach Herr, laa dein Engelein, dalla Passione secondo San Giovanni (Johan Sebastian Bach ), Panis Angelicus (Cesar Franck), Somewhere, West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein)

 

Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Italian (Dolby Digital 5.1) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1	Studio: Image Entertainment DVD Release Date: March 7, 2000 Run Time: 70 minutes ASIN: 6305761167
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC Language: English Region: Region 0 Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1	Studio: Kultur Video DVD Release Date: May 14, 2002 Run Time: 123 minutes ASIN: B000067IYI

 

'The production, filmed at La Scala in 1998, is a lavish period staging with costumes as beautiful as museum pieces, and sets which bring the story vividly to life. But even more important are the leads. One could hardly imagine a more handsome Des Grieux than José Cura or a more beautiful Manon that Maria Guleghina. Neither gives a cookie-cutter performance, and these are not cookie-cutter voices. Cura’s tenor sounds more like a baritone with (great) high notes.... I have no doubt that when Puccini sat down at his desk to write Manon Lescaut and pictured the scenes of the opera, he must have imagined them very much like this.'  Opera Today

 

‘Taped on the stage of La Scala in June 1998, this Manon Lescaut represents old-fashioned theatre at its best. Very few companies – the Met comes to mind – have the serious money needed for such opulent, realistic productions. The pairing of Maria Guleghina (Manon Lescaut) and Jose Cura (Des Grieux) is felicitous, catching both in excellent vocal estate. There is good chemistry between them, and sparks fly in Acts 3 and 4.  Highly recommended.’  La Scena Muscale

Puccini: Manon Lescaut

Featuring José Cura, Maria Guleghina, Lucio Gallo

Recorded live at Teatro alla Scala, 11 June 1998

Conductor:  Riccardo Muti

Manon Lescaut is Giacomo Puccini’s Romeo and Juliet, his Bonnie and Clyde, his Tristan und Isolde. A pair of lovers stand alone against the rest of the world. We are not told what binds the Chevalier Des Grieux and the girl Manon to each other, but in the course of four acts we can follow the effects of their unconditional love. Love strikes at first sight and nothing and nobody will put a stop to it: not Manon’s brother Lescaut, who sells his sister to old Geronte, the King’s Treasurer; not a judge and the sentence of a court; not transportation to America; and certainly not death. Des Grieux and Manon love without regard for morals, laws or social norms – and they find true redemption only in death.

TDK presents a recording of the heart-breaking opera from one of the best opera houses of the world featuring star tenor José Cura and remarkable soprano Maria Guleghina as the two inseparable lovers. Riccardo Muti, music director of La Scala at the time of this performance, gives full weight to the alternation of social realism and private amatory psychology, of crowds and intimacy, body and spirit. And the director of this Milan production, Liliana Cavani, provides it with a realistic setting. Every scene looks like a genre painting, from which Puccini’s psychograms emerge musically. This forms the background for the two outstanding singer actors, who take the lead roles:

José Cura is world-famous for his intense and original interpretations of opera characters, he is a compelling actor and charismatic stage performer and, as one London critic wrote: 'Few have seemed so ideally suited to the impulsive, obsessed Des Grieux as is José Cura, with his ardent, exciting singing.' When Des Grieux first sees Manon, he sings “Donna non vidi mai!” (“I never saw a woman like her!”), which today has emerged as one of the most popular of operatic hits, partly because the role of Des Grieux has been taken by star tenors like Caruso, Gigli, Björling and Domingo.  
 

Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC Language: Italian, English Subtitles: German, English, Spanish, Italian, French Region: Region 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number of discs: 1

Studio: Tdk DVD Video DVD Release Date: September 20, 2005 Run Time: 126 minutes ASIN: B000AMMSQW

 

Note:  This program is available in the original (all composers), as a trio (Tchaikovsky, Puccini and Mahler), or as Puccini alone.  As far as we can figure out, the Puccini only is available in North America and is not designed for other regions.

 

Great Composers

BBC Programme

The lives and works of three of history’s greatest composers are examined in this programme which originally appeared as part of the BBC’s Great Composers television series. The point of departure for the study of the lives of Tchaikovsky, Puccini and Mahler is the music itself, and extensive footage of their work (featuring, among others, Solti, Cura and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra) supports interviews and comment from eminent musicians, conductors and music-lovers.

Don't be surprised (or think you've switched on the television by mistake) when you see soccer players on the screen - the triumphant aria from Puccini's last opera, Turandot - Nessun Dorma - was the official theme song for the 1990 Soccer World Cup.

Puccini was born in 1858 near a lake in a small town called Lucca. The programme traces his childhood and early influences - including walking 20 km to hear Verdi's Aida being performed in the nearby town of Pisa. He then studied composition at the Milan Conservatory and the opening of his final year composition - Capriccio Sinfonico - was later reused in the opera La Bohème.

The programme traces through various places in Italy and we are guided by a number of interviewees 'on location' - including Simon Callow ("Mr. Beebe" in Room With A View) - Lucca, Pisa, at the Castel Sant'Angelo (where Tosca hurled to her death), Puccini's villa at Torre del Lago, his final years at Viareggio and his death from throat cancer in Brussels.

The programme happily moves from musical influences (Verdi, Wagner, Bizet, Debussy, Stravinsky) through to his Bohemian streak, his womanising, his pacifism, and even his love for toys and technology (stemming from his visit to America). Indeed, his womanising ("serial infidelities") was the constant bane of his wife Elvira Gemignani eventually leading to the "Doria Scandal" where a young woman who was wrongly accused by Elvira of having an affair with Puccini ended up committing suicide. The programme also interviews his neighbours in Torre del Lago and even his granddaughter Simonetta.

Musical analyses include most of his operas, such as Le Villi, Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Fanciulla del West, Il Tabarro and his final, unfinished, opera Turandot.

Musical extracts (mostly performed by Richard Buckley and the BBC Philharmonic and featuring tenor José Cura) include:

• Turandot, Act III – Nessun dorma
• Messa di Gloria – Gloria
• Capriccio Sinfonico
• Le Villi, Act II – O sommo iddio!
• Manon Lescaut, Act II – Tu, tu, amore? tu!
• Manon Lescaut, Act III Prelude
• La Bohème, Act IV – Ah! Mimì! mia bella Mimì
• Tosca, Act II – Vissi d’arte
• Tosca, Act III – E lucevan le stelle
• Madama Butterfly, Act III Prelude
• Madama Butterfly, Act I – Viene la sera
• La Fanciulla del West, Act III – Ch’ella mi creda
• Il Tabarro Opening
• Turandot, Act I – Princess Turandot’s theme
• Manon Lescaut, Act III Prelude

    Contributors include:

• Raymond Gubbay (impressario)
• Jonathan Miller (opera producer)
• Julia Migenes (soprano)
• José Cura (tenor)
• Julian Dudden (musicologist and author)
• Simon Callow (actor and opera producer)
• William Ashbrook (musicologist and author)
• Leonoardo Pinzauti (musicologist and critic)
• Alan Sievewright (impressario)
• Richard Buckley (conductor)
• Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)
• Maria Biliotti (neighbour)
• Anna Manfredi (neighbour)
• Simonetta Puccini (Puccini's grand-daughter)
• Giulano Baroncini (Huntsman)

 

Format: Box set, Classical, Color, Dolby, NTSC   Number of tapes: 2   Studio: Elektra / Wea   VHS Release Date: May 4, 1999   ASIN: B00000IO4M

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