Sources
- Grove Music Online, Noël Goodwin, Oxford University Press, 2008.
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Christian du Plessis (born 2 July 1944) is a South African baritone, largely based in England, and particularly associated with the bel canto repertory.
Born in Vryheid, South Africa, he studied in Johannesburg with Teasdale Griffiths and Esme Webb, and made his stage debut there, with the Transvaal Opera, as Yamadori in Madama Butterfly , in 1967. Further studies followed in London with Otokar Kraus, making his debut there in 1970, as Mathieu in Andrea Chénier .
He became a member of the English National Opera, where he sang the standard baritone repertory: Valentin, Luna, Posa, Marcello, Cecil, also Germont in a recording of La traviata , etc.
In the mid-1970s, he began concentrating in the bel canto repertory, making a specialty of lesser-known works by Donizetti and Bellini, appearing in concert performances for the London Opera Society and stage productions by Opera Rara, notably the title role in Torquato Tasso , Corrado in Maria de Rudenz , Ernesto in Il Pirata and Orazio in Orazi e Curiazi .
A warm-voiced and stylish singer, he can be heard on several Opera Rara recordings; Ugo, conte di Parigi , Gabriella di Vergy , L'assedio di Calais and Maria Padilla . He is also featured in a major recording of the opera Rigoletto featuring Luciano Pavarotti and Dame Joan Sutherland.
He formally retired from the stage in 1988.
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Giovanni Zenatello was an Italian opera singer. Born in Verona, he enjoyed an international career as a dramatic tenor of the first rank. Otello became his most famous operatic role but his repertoire also included French roles. In 1904, he created the part of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.
Otello is an opera in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Francesco Berio di Salsa after William Shakespeare's play Othello, or The Moor of Venice; it was premiered in Naples, Teatro del Fondo, 4 December 1816.
Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Sun of Peru.
Leo Nucci is an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and Verismo roles.
Maria di Rohan is a melodramma tragico, or tragic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Salvadore Cammarano, after Lockroy and Edmond Badon's Un duel sous le cardinal de Richelieu, which had played in Paris in 1832. The story is based on events of the life of Marie de Rohan.
Francesca di Foix is a melodramma giocoso in one act by Gaetano Donizetti with a libretto by Domenico Gilardoni based on one by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly and Emmanuel Mercier-Dupaty for Henri Montan Berton's 3-act opéra-comique Françoise de Foix, inspired by the life of Françoise de Foix.
Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don White, Opera Rara's recordings are internationally distributed by Warner Classics. In September 2019, Italian conductor Carlo Rizzi succeeded Sir Mark Elder as Artistic Director.
Della Jones is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, particularly well known for her interpretations of works by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten.
Nelly Miricioiu is a Romanian-born British operatic soprano singing a large repertoire ranging from bel canto to verismo.
Fernando De Lucia was an Italian opera tenor and singing teacher who enjoyed an international career.
Pierre Duval was a French-Canadian operatic tenor who had an active international career during the 1960s and 1970s. Possessing a warm lyrical voice with a considerable amount of flexibility and stamina, Duval sang mostly roles from the standard French and Italian repertories. He particularly excelled in bel canto works, notably singing opposite such lauded bel canto interpreters as Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills, and Montserrat Caballé during his career.
Giulio Fioravanti was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.
Bruce Ford is an American operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart roles and the bel canto repertory.
Enzo Mascherini was an Italian operatic baritone, one of the leading baritones of his generation.
David Parry is an English conductor who is particularly known for his work in opera. Described as "a man of the theatre with whom directors love to work; he is good with singers; he knows the British opera world like the back of his hand. He is a controversial and outspoken defender of the operatic form, and a passionate advocate of opera in English", his work includes a large discography of complete opera recordings of rarely performed works made on the Opera Rara and Chandos record labels, as well as works recorded with well-known British and European orchestras. Parry is also a member of the support staff of the Cardiff International Academy of Voice
Janet Price is a Welsh soprano particularly associated with the 19th-century Italian bel canto repertory.
Diana Montague is an English mezzo-soprano, known for her performances in opera and as a concert singer.
Richard Conrad was an American singer, voice teacher, and impresario whose voice at times inhabited both the tenor and baritone ranges. He sang in opera, cabaret and musicals. He is perhaps best known for his 1963 recorded collaboration with Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne, conducted by Richard Bonynge, known as The Age of Bel Canto.
Jacques Imbrailo is a South African classical baritone, who sings in operas and oratorios.
Josep Bros i Jiménez and primarily performing under the name José Bros, is a Catalan operatic tenor particularly known for his performances in the bel canto repertoire both on stage and in full-length opera recordings.
