Voices from the past
Since the beginning of gramophone recordings, the voices of great opera singers have been preserved. We profile some stars of the opera stage through the twentieth century.
Opera divas and divos were the rock stars of their day and often became household names, but many also lived through troubled times.
Collection items
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Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005)
Roger Flury and Des Wilson look at the life and career of the legendary Swedish soprano. Audio
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Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)
Roger Flury profiles the life and career of a legendary tenor. Audio
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Lisa Della Casa (1919-2012)
16 Feb 2019Tribute to soprano Lisa Della Casa by Roger Flury and Des Wilson. Video, Audio
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Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014)
23 Apr 2014Roger Flury and Des Wilson look back at the career of the great Italian tenor who as a young man had to choose between cheese-making and opera. Audio
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Risë Stevens (1913-2013)
29 Dec 2013The glamorous American mezzo-soprano lived almost 100 years. Roger Flury & Des Wilson review her career on the opera stage and in the movies. Audio
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Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012)
16 Mar 2019Peter Shaw profiles the 20th Century's greatest lieder singer. Video, Audio
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Dame Joan Sutherland (1926-2010)
16 Aug 2015The extraordinary voice and career of the Australian soprano known as La Stupenda. Audio
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Pavarotti in Perspective
23 Feb 2019Roger Flury and Des Wilson reflect on the stellar career of the Italian tenor. Video, Audio
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Montserrat Caballé (1933-2018)
6 Jul 2019Roger Flury and Des Wilson look at the life and music of the Spanish soprano, winner of the Gramophone Lifetime Achievement Award 2007. Video, Audio
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Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953)
9 Mar 2019Roger Flury and Des Wilson discuss the much-loved British contralto's career. Video, Audio
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Galina Vishnevskaya - A Tribute
13 Dec 2015Roger Flury and Des Wilson discuss the extraordinary life and career of the Russian soprano who survived childhood poverty, disease, the siege of Leningrad, political persecution and even exile to… Audio
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Dame Janet Baker - Part 1
Alan Platt traces the arc of Dame Janet Baker's career, with his heart on his sleeve as a devoted Baker-holic Audio
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Dame Janet Baker - Part 2
Alan Platt traces the arc of Dame Janet Baker's career, with his heart on his sleeve as a devoted Baker-holic . Audio
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Dame Janet Baker - Part 3
Alan Platt traces the arc of Dame Janet Baker's career, with his heart on his sleeve as a devoted Baker-holic. Audio
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Dame Janet Baker - Part 4
Alan Platt traces the arc of Dame Janet Baker's career, with his heart on his sleeve as a devoted Baker-holic . Audio
