Music to my ears

Over lockdown I’ve been indulging in music that I don’t normally have time to listen to. The bel canto era of opera and the singers who perform it fascinate me, so I’ve been enjoying a feast of Bellini and Donizetti. A real discovery has been Agnes Baltsa and Edita Gruberova in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi under Riccardo Muti. Their voices are to die for, and the delicate way in which they sing their last few minutes together is phenomenal.

I first came across the voice of tenor Giuseppe di Stefano a few years ago. He was such awith Maria Callas in 1957 and, in particular, the aria ‘Donna non vidi mai’. I’m rehearsing for the role of Manon this summer, and if I think I’ve done well, my treat to myself is to listen to a bit of Giuseppe!