The Opera Band

Last updated
The Opera Band
The Opera Band album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released2003
Genre Classical
Length47:46
Label RCA
Producer Nick Garrett, Nick Patrick, Matt Howe, Rick Blaskey & James Shearman
Amici Forever chronology
The Opera Band
(2003)
Defined
(2005)

The Opera Band is the debut album by Amici Forever released in 2004.

Contents

Making of the album

The members of Amici Forever met when rehearsing and performing at opera venues around the world. Tenor Geoff Sewell, originally from New Zealand, came up with the idea of an "opera band" mixing traditional opera with contemporary pop. The band features two tenors, two soprano singers and a bass-baritone singer.

Amici Forever signed with Arista Records and started playing high-profile gigs such as the FA Cup final and the English rugby union final. Nick Patrick, who had produced albums by the Gipsy Kings, Tina Turner and Marvin Gaye produced the band's first album The Opera Band. The album mixes opera classics such as "Nessun Dorma" with pop standards such as "Unchained Melody" and "Requiem for a Soldier" from the Band of Brothers soundtrack.


Track listing

  1. "Prayer in the Night" (based on Handel's "Sarabande")
  2. "Senza Catene (Unchained Melody)"
  3. "Canto Alla Vita"
  4. "Vita Mia"
  5. "Requiem for a Soldier "
  6. "Whisper of Angels" (based on Faure's "Pavane")
  7. "The Pearl Fishers"
  8. "Soave Sia Il Vento"
  9. "Nimrod: Lux Æterna"
  10. "Song to the Moon"
  11. "Zadok the Priest"
  12. "Nessun Dorma"
  13. "Adeste Fidelis"
  14. "Olympia: Eternal Flame" (Bonus track used as theme to BBC's 2004 Olympic Games coverage)

Charts

Weekly chart

Chart (2004)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [1] 4
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [2] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [3] 26

Year-end chart

Chart (2004)Position
Australian (ARIA Charts) [4] 40

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [5] 2× Platinum140,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [6] 2× Platinum30,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

Unchained Melody 1955 song by Alex North and Hy Zaret

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained, hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.

Amici Forever is a band of four classically trained singers who mix opera with pop music. The band's first album, The Opera Band (2004), reached number one on the Australian classical charts, number two on the United States (US) classical charts and the top 5 in the United Kingdom (UK) classical charts.

"Nessun dorma" is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto, who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. Any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded. In the aria, Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess.

<i>Moody Blue</i> 1977 studio album by Elvis Presley

Moody Blue is the twenty-fourth and final studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Records in July 1977, four weeks before his death. The album was a mixture of live and studio work, and included the four tracks from Presley's final studio recording sessions in October 1976 and two tracks left over from the previous Graceland session in February 1976. "Moody Blue" was a previously published hit song recorded at the earlier Graceland session and held over for this album. Also recorded at the February session was "She Thinks I Still Care". "Way Down" became a hit after Presley's death less than one month after this album's release. The album was certified Gold and Platinum on September 12, 1977 and 2x Platinum on March 27, 1992 by the RIAA.

<i>The Last Waltz</i> (1978 album) 1978 soundtrack album by The Band

The Last Waltz is the second live album by The Band, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1978, catalogue 3WS 3146. It is the soundtrack to the 1978 film of the same name, and the final album by the original configuration of the Band. It peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.

The TEN Tenors are an Australian music ensemble that has toured worldwide, been seen by more than 90 million people and attracted a vast international fan-base by performing a unique combination of classical and contemporary music featuring ten-part harmonies.

<i>The Voice</i> (Russell Watson album) 2000 studio album by Russell Watson

The Voice is the 2000 debut album by British tenor Russell Watson.

Paul Potts British tenor

Paul Potts is a Welsh tenor. In 2007, he won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with his performance of "Nessun dorma", an aria from Puccini's opera Turandot. As a singer of operatic pop music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which topped sales charts in 13 countries. Before winning Britain's Got Talent, Potts was a manager at Carphone Warehouse. He had been a Bristol city councillor from 1996 until 2003, and performed in amateur opera from 1999 to 2003.

<i>One Chance</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Paul Potts

One Chance is the debut album from British tenor Paul Potts. He won Britain's Got Talent on 17 June 2007, and the album was released on 16 July 2007 by Syco Music.

<i>Viaggio Italiano</i> 1996 studio album by Andrea Bocelli

Viaggio Italiano is Andrea Bocelli's third studio album and first classical album.

Mark Vincent Australian tenor (born 1993)

Mark Vincent is an Australian tenor. Vincent won the third season of Australia's Got Talent in 2009 and signed with Sony Music Australia immediately after. As of 2018, Vincent has released seven studio albums and one "best of".

<i>Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert</i> 1990 live album by The Three Tenors

Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert is a live album by José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti with conductor Zubin Mehta. The album was recorded on 7 July 1990 in Rome as the first Three Tenors concert with the orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the orchestra of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma on the evening before the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final. It was produced by Gian Carlo Bertelli and Herbert Chappell.

<i>The Three Tenors in Concert 1994</i> 1994 live album by The Three Tenors

The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 is a live album by José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti with conductor Zubin Mehta. The album was recorded on July 16, 1994, at the Three Tenors concert in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the chorus of the Los Angeles Opera. An estimated 1.3 billion viewers watched the concert as a television broadcast special across the world.

The Texas Tenors Trio vocal group

The Texas Tenors are a three-time Emmy Award-winning classical crossover, trio vocal group formed in 2009 by country singer JC Fisher, pop singer Marcus Collins and opera singer John Hagen. They were a top four finalist in the fourth season of America's Got Talent, making them the highest ranking vocal group in the show's history.

<i>The Essential Pavarotti</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Luciano Pavarotti

The Essential Pavarotti is an album by tenor Luciano Pavarotti. It was released in 1990 by Decca Records and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart, the first ever classical album to do so.

<i>Opera</i> (Andrea Bocelli album) 2012 compilation album by Andrea Bocelli

Opera is the first compilation album of opera arias by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The album was released only in the United Kingdom and appeared on the album charts of the UK and Ireland.

Geoff Sewell New Zealand singer

Geoffrey David Sewell is a tenor from New Zealand. He is a classical crossover singer, a multi platinum selling international recording artist, impresario, entrepreneur, creator and CEO of London-based entertainment company Incognito Artists, and co-creator of the world's first 'pop-opera', classical crossover band Amici Forever.

<i>My Dream – Mio Visione</i> 2009 studio album by Mark Vincent

My Dream – Mio Visione is the debut studio album by Australian tenor, Mark Vincent. The album was released through Sony Music Australia on 2 July 2009 and peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Charts. The album was certified platinum.

<i>Notte Magica - A Tribute to the Three Tenors</i> 2016 live album by Il Volo with Plácido Domingo

Notte Magica - A Tribute to the Three Tenors is the fourth live album by Italian operatic pop trio Il Volo, with the participation of Plácido Domingo as a performer and conductor. The recording was released worldwide on September 30, 2016 by Sony Masterworks. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Albums and it was certified platinum in Italy by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.

Metro Station discography

Metro Station has released 2 studio albums, 5 extended plays, 16 singles and 13 music videos. The band members consist of Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso. Their hit single, "Shake It" went double platinum in the US and reached number 10 on US Billboard Hot 100. "Seventeen Forever" peaked at number 42 on Billboard Hot 100 and is certified gold in the US. Their debut album, self-titled album is certified gold in Canada and reached number 39 on Billboard 200. Their second album, Savior was released in 2015.

References

  1. "Australiancharts.com – Amici Forever – The Opera Band". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. "Charts.nz – Amici Forever – The Opera Band". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  3. "Swedishcharts.com – Amici Forever – The Opera Band". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  4. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 14.}
  5. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  6. "New Zealand album certifications – Amici Forever – The Opera Band". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 17 March 2022.