Capua: Maria, Marì

José Carreras returns to his roots with a Mediterranean song album, featuring popular and rare traditional songs from the Mediterranean, music from Spain and Italy.

Be it Neapolitan composers such as Eduardo Di Capua and Vincenzo D'Annibale, or a native of Catalonia like Josep Ribas – they have all translated the Mediterranean joie de vivre into music in their canzoni and songs. Many of these have become popular the world over, and have been a vital part of every great tenor's repertoire since Caruso's day In the 30 plus years of his international career, José Carreras has made these a fundamental part of his repertoire. Now he returns to his roots with his new album, Mediterranean Passion. "These are songs from my native Catalonia", says Carreras. "Songs that always move me when I hear them. And there are songs from Italy that I came to love at an early age." Among the 15 songs that Carreras has recorded with the Ambassade Orchestra of Vienna under the baton of David Giménez, we find Vincenzo D'Annibale's (1894-1950) O paese d'o sole, which takes its inspiration from Neapolitan folk music. Josep Ribas (1882/83-1934) contributes the famous aria Rosó from his opera Pel teu amor of 1922. Opera and folk music have always had a strong influence on each other in Italy, as can be clearly heard in the canzone Fenesta che lucive by bel canto pioneer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). In addition to classics like Lazzaro's Chitarra Romana, Carreras has also selected pieces by lesser-known composers such as Gaetano Lama (1868-1950) and Salvatore Gambardella (1873-1913). As one of two bonus tracks, José Carreras sings Solamente una vez by the Mexican Augustin Lara (1896-1970), in which he is partnered by the Cuban-American pop star Gloria Estefan.

Domenico Balzani is from Sardinia and has a degree in Politics and Economics, as well as singing. He has sung under many well-known conductors and performed in many important venues. The role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville is one he has performed in many theatres. Here he performs Neapolitan songs including classics such as O sole mio and Core ‘ngrato.

Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn

One of the most charismatic stars of the post-war operatic stage, the Italian tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano made numerous recordings, and was especially renowned as the performing partner of the equally fiery soprano, Maria Callas.

Having earned a precarious living as a singer of popular songs in Milan during World War Two, Di Stefano was also a highly accomplished singer of lighter music.

This experience, allied with the natural richness of his tenor voice, made him a master of the Neapolitan Song, as may be heard in this collection of his recordings of the cream of the repertoire, made at the peak of his career.

“Was it Giuseppe Di Stefano’s spontaneity and involvement in what he was singing which attracted so many collectors to his recordings? If one listens to his early 78s, one hears a third quality: the sheer beauty of his lyric tenor…Those recordings have been reissued a number of times and should be on the shelf of all who love the singing voice.” International Record Review

“The greatest singer of us all.” Maria Callas

In this anthology, virtuoso trombonist Joseph Alessi invites us on a journey close to his heart and to his roots: the rich world of Italian melody. With arrangements spanning from café ensemble to swing band, Alessi performs works expressly written for him, and expands our experience of some of the most enduring and beloved songs and arias of the Italian songbook.