Fiamma del Belcanto

In her first recital album devoted entirely to Italian opera, soprano Diana Damrau takes the golden age of bel canto, the early 19th century, as the starting point for an exploration of theatrical and musical passion that leads to the high-octane verismo drama of the 1890s. “Italian opera is an art form that deals with real feelings,” she says of the arias she has chosen by Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini and Leoncavallo, lit up by her coloratura pyrotechnics and dramatic prowess.