Part one “They were sent from heaven” wrote Birgit Nilsson in her memoirs, looking back on the fortunate circumstance that one day in the early …
Nikolaus Harnoncourt: The Adequate Sound
There is a unique feeling that flows through you when listening to a recording of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt: on his departure …
Claudio Abbado: He Let the Music Speak
Although he undoubtedly belongs to the very great conductors, he never counted himself among the “greats”: for him, there was no such thing as a …
Joseph Schmidt: A Radio Tenor Finds His Way to the Stage
Continued from part one At the end of 1935, a radio broadcast with Joseph Schmidt was broadcast to the United States: sitting in front of …
Joseph Schmidt: The Microphone Was His Concert Hall
Part one Early in his career, Joseph Schmidt sang roles that pushed other tenors to the limits of their vocal abilities at the height of …
Ennio Morricone: The maestro of film music
Ennio Morricone once said that he was actually a concert composer – film music was just a side hustle. But the name Ennio Morricone is …
Franco Corelli: He saw notes in his dreams
The name Franco Corelli is often mentioned in the same breath as Fritz Wunderlich: Both are considered the most important tenors of the 20th century …
Montserrat Caballé: The Spanish Opera Diva (2.)
Continued from part one At the beginning of the seventies, Montserrat Caballé was faced with probably the greatest artistic challenge of her career: opera connoisseurs …
Montserrat Caballé: The Spanish Opera Diva (1.)
She was one of the few opera singers who became known beyond their genre: Not only was she an opera diva, Caballé became known to …
Luciano Pavarotti: Opera star & Pop star
He was one of the most famous tenors of all time: Luciano Pavarotti. One of his childhood friends was the soprano Mirella Freni, who later …