Mark Milhofer & Marco Scolastra “Enrico Caruso: his songs”
Mark Milhofer & Marco Scolastra: Enrico Caruso, his songs
A symbol of Italianism and bel canto singing, Enrico Caruso moved from provincial Neapolitan stages to the world’s most prestigious opera houses, and as naturally as he sang the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, he could return to being the scugnizzo or street urchin of popular songs. But what is less known is that the great tenor himself composed a small number of these songs, and this album brings them together for the first time, along with a wide selection of pieces that were written especially for him by his contemporaries. A little known repertoire that deserves to, now, 150 years after Caruso’s birth, be rediscovered by a new audience.
About Mark Milhofer
After a quarter century of singing in opera productions around the world, Mark Milhofer is at the peak of his vocal abilities, able to move comfortably from Monteverdi to Mozart, Rossini to Lehár and Britten to Eötvös. He studied choral singing at Magdalen College, Oxford and specialized at the Guildhall School of Music in London before winning one of the few spots at the Italian Opera Studio in Milan. He began his career in Italy, working with Giorgio Strehler, who chose him to open his brand new theater in Milan with Mozart’s Così fan tutte. He also worked with Franco Zeffirelli in his production of Pagliacci and with Dario Fo in his Barbiere di Siviglia.
About Marco Scolastra
He has played for Accademia Filarmonica Romana, IUC, Teatro dell’Opera/Rome, Teatro Regio/Parma, LaVerdi, Festival dei Due Mondi, Ravello Festival, Teatro La Fenice, “I concerti del Quirinale,” Teatro di San Carlo, Vatican Museums, Serate Musicali, Conservatorio “P. I. Čajkovskij,” Tonhalle, “F. Chopin” Institute, Orchestre National du Capitole, Festival van Vlaanderen, Musikverein. As a soloist he has played under Yuri Bashmet, Carlo Boccadoro, Romano Gandolfi, Howard Griffiths, Lior Shambadal. He has collaborated with Vadim Brodski, Sebastiano Brusco, Renato Bruson, Alessandro Carbonare, Raina Kabaivanska, Daniela Mazzucato, Kodály Quartet. He has done intensive collaboration with Sandro Cappelletto. He has been on stage with distinguished actors including Sonia Bergamasco, Elio Pandolfi (long partnership lasting almost twenty years), Lucia Poli, Jerzy Radziwilowicz, Pamela Villoresi.