3 Most Famous Male Opera Singers

June 20th, 2009 by Lisa

opera This article gives you some info on three famous male opera singers. But before that let me tell you what opera is.

Opera is an unique singing style in which singers and musicians combine singing and dramatic performance. Opera is originally a part of the western classical music and incorporates the elements of the spoken theatre. An opera includes acting, scenery and different costumes and sometimes dance too. It is usually performed at an Opera house along with orchestra or a musical ensemble.

When you train for opera style singing, you develop a technique that trains to project your voice without amplification. Your specific attributes in singing will allow you to choose the kind of opera roles which you can perform. Opera started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and soon became a popular performing art throughout Europe.

luciano-pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti
Born on 12 October 1935, on the outskirts of Modena in northern Italy Luciano Pavarotti started his singing career in the church choir. He took up music as a study when he was 21 with Arrigo Pola and started his professional career in 1961. He eventually became one of the most successful tenors of all time and he was one of “The Three Tenors”.

Pavarotti in his musical journey sang in opera houses in Netherlands, Vienna, London, Budapest and Barcelona. He was greatly acclaimed for his brilliant performance when he debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Rudolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme in 1968. For the role of Tonio in Donizetti’s “La Fille du Regiment” he was awarded the title “King of the high C’s” when he sang the aria “Ah mes amis… pour mon âme”. At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, he enthralled the audience with performances of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, from Turandot along with fellow stars Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. He has made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, and established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century

José Carreras
Born on December 5, 1946, in Barcelona, José Carreras showed an exceptional talent for singing from his early childhood. In his first public performance at the age of 8, he sang La donna è Mobile accompanied by Magda Prunera, on the piano. This program was broadcast on the Spanish National Radio.

At the age of 11 he debuted as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla’s El retablo de Maese Pedro on the opera stage. His consummate love for music guided him to take private lessons, with Francisco Puig and later with Juan Ruax.
The 70’s saw Carreras’ singing career progressing at a furious pace and in 1971, he won the first prize in Parma’s prestigious Voci Verdiane competition. This award earned him the chance to debut in the role of Rudolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Regio di Parma, in 1972. In his journey as a very successful and acclaimed opera singer he did over 60 roles in world’s leading opera houses and in the most famous recording studios.

Jussi Björling
Born on 2 February, 1991 in Borläge, Sweden, Johan Jonatan “Jussi” Björling learned singing from his father, David, who was an accomplished vocalist. He gave his first public appearance at the age of four, with the Björling Male Quartet.

Jussi Björling debuted as an opera singer in 1930, playing the role of a lamplighter in Manon Lescaut, at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm. Björling became one of the principal singers at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1940s and 1950s. He has sung a lot of major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire. His major works included Il trovatore, Rigoletto, Un ballo in maschera, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Faust, Roméo et Juliette and La bohème.

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