LA Forza Del Destino

Giuseppe Verdi travelled to St Petersburg in 1862 to premiere La forza del destino, which had been commissioned by the city’s Imperial Theatre. The source material appealed to the composer’s sense of tragic intensity and the ruthlessness of destiny.

Leonora, the passionate young girl choosing seclusion and life as a hermit to avoid the revenge of her brother and punish herself for her forbidden love with Alvaro and the death of her father, is one of the most tragic roles of the Verdian repertoire. It was also the first roles Maria Callas took up in her career.

Relentlessly pursued by Fate, Leonora in La forza del destino is a haunted heroine whose passions and fears are expressed on a grand scale. Callas’s stage experience of Forza was limited to her early career in Italy – in fact, Leonora was her first Verdi role – but, as Lord Harewood, founder of Opera magazine, observed, her recorded assumption exhibited ‘an unparalleled musical sensibility and imagination and a grasp of the musico-dramatic picture which is unique’. She took her place in a powerful cast conducted by her mentor Tullio Serafin.

Pedro Lavirgen Gil (Bujalance, 31 July 1930 - Madrid, 2 April 2023) was a Spanish tenor.

Digitally remastered 3 discs collection of American-born Greek soprano, Maria Callas. She was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and, further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as 'La Divina'. This compilation features mono and stereo recordings from 1952 to 1982 and includes a 64 pages booklet with many photos.

Georges Prêtre, one of the greatest conductors of our era, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan were bound together by an amicable and artistic relationship of more than fifty years.

Maria Callas (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophie Kalogeropoulou), was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and, further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina ("the Divine one").

For the very first time, Plácido Domingo records a complete album of baritone repertoire: here he assembles Verdi´s most beloved baritone arias from Don Carlo, Rigoletto, La Traviata and Simon Boccanegra among many others. Verdi played the largest part in Domingo´s long career.

On stage they’re usually rivals, but in real life Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier share a close friendship. After many live performances together these two extraordinary artists have recorded their first duet album: “Insieme”, meaning “together” in Italian, to be released on Sony Classical.

The focus of this year's program was on popular works from the 19th and 20th centuries from Europe's rich musical heritage. Bedrich Smetana, one of the most important Czech composers, was honoured with three works to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. Andris Nelsons conducted the concert for the second time, while Norwegian opera and lieder singer Lise Davidsen made her début with the orchestra. She sang two arias - from Richard Wagner's 'Tannhäuser' and Giuseppe Verdi's 'La forza del destino'.