“The Swan of Catania” Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) rose from humble beginnings in Sicily to take the operatic stages in Italy, London and Paris by storm. Closely connected to the Italian “bel canto” singing style practiced by the most illustrious performers

“The Professional Dilettante” There is hardly a collection of recorded Baroque favorites that does not include the “Adagio in G minor” by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751). Although that world-famous composition is attributed to Albinoni, it was actually the creation of the

“One night I dreamed I had made a pact with the devil” His playing was renowned for its combination of technical and poetic qualities, and Italians proclaimed him “the finest musician in the world.” He also made a pact with

“Music is text and rhythm, and sound last of all” 400 years ago, the Italian composer, singer, teacher and instrumentalist Giulio Romano Caccini (1551-1618) passed away in Florence. He wasn’t a particularly pleasant individual, and frequently guided by envy and

“Give me a laundry bill and I will set it to music” When Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) spontaneously decided to retire in 1829, he was universally considered the most popular opera composer in history. No other composer enjoyed his prestige, popular

On ‘The Integrity and Quality of Each Individual Moment’ Italian American tenor Leonardo Capalbo chats to me on his day off in Warsaw, in the middle of a production of La Traviata at the Teatr Wielki. His hotel room faces

Creator of modern music In 2017 we celebrate the 450th birthday of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). He was the most important musician in late 16th and early 17th-century Italy, and the first great composer of opera. He developed powerful ways of

Pining for Rome 85 years ago, on 18 April 1936, Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) died from an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart in Rome. Respighi lived and worked during tumultuous political times, and his historicist interest in Italian