Giacomo Puccini is one of the most famous composers of opera. Many prefer his music to the one of Verdi because they say it is sweeter and more beautiful.

He wrote famous masterworks including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly e Turandot.

Recommended pieces:

Nessun Dorma (Turandot)

Vissi d'arte (Tosca)

Un bel dì vedremo (Madama Butterfly)

Che gelida manina (La bohème)

Giocchino Rossini, the "grande maestro" of the Italian comic opera, wrote The Barber of Sevilla in 1816. The opera was performed at the beginning with unfortunate results. No one would have guessed that Il Barbiere di Siviglia would later become one of the classics of comic opera.

The version of the Barbiere that we have chosen for you is the one directed by Claudio Abbado, nowadays, the most famous conductor in Italy and one of the most famous in the world.

Remember: to enjoy listening to an opera, you should read the libretto while listening to the music and (if you are not at the theatre) try to sing!

Recommended pieces:

Una voce poco fa

Largo al Factotum

A un dottor della mia sorte

Ehi, di casa, buona gente

La calunnia è un venticello

Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most famous Italian composers, "grande maestro" of romanticism, wrote The Traviata in 1853. He wanted this opera to be "simple, moving and passionate" and indeed it is. La Traviata is simple yet filled with passion.

Notice how, in Callas performance, the Italian words of the lyrics are pronounced very clearly.

Remember: to enjoy listening to an opera, you should read the libretto while listening to the music and (if you are not at the theatre) try to sing!

Recommended pieces:

La donna è mobile (Rigoletto)

Libiamo (La Traviata)

Vivaldi has been re-discovered after world war two. He is a prolific composer, one of his most famous compositions is 'Le quattro stagioni' (The four seasons).

Recommended pieces:

Estate (Le quattro stagioni)

Overture (Ercole in Termodonte)

The work by Leoncavallo, Pagliacci, is often represented together with the work of Mascagni, Cavalleria Rusticana.

Most probably because both operas are 'short' and they talk about a passionate, violent and jealous love.

Recommended piece:

No, Pagliaccio Non Son (Pagliacci)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is not Italian, of course. However, together with the Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte he created some of the most powerful operas. The trilogy recommended here (Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così Fan Tutte) explores the relationships between men and women.

Remember: to enjoy listening to an opera, you should read the libretto while listening to the music and (if you are not at the theatre) try to sing!

Recommended pieces:

Tutto è tranquillo e placido (Le nozze di Figaro)

Miei signori tutto è fatto (Così fan tutte)

Don Giovanni, a cenar teco (Don Giovanni)

Renzo Arbore is an eclectic artist and a very famous conductor of Italian radio and TV programs ("Alto gradimento", "Quelli della notte", etc.); interesting showman and very talented musician.

Recommended pieces:

Ma la notte no

Il materasso

Franco Battiato is an exceptional and very refined artist. He offers us Sicilian, Arabic, Bedouin, Nomadic and Italian rhythms and flavors... His lyrics and music will bring you on a wonderful trip...

Recommended pieces:

L'era del cinghiale bianco

La cura

E ti vengo a cercare

Lucio Battisti, the great and unforgettable Lucio. Italians during the 60s and 70s grew up with his unforgettable songs: "Sì, viaggiare" (Yes, let's travel), "Acqua chiara" (Clear water), "Ancora tu" (You again)... Battisti is a cornerstone in the landscape of Italian popular music.

Recommended pieces:

Ancora tu

Sì, viaggiare

Acqua chiara

Una donna per amico

Edoardo Bennato is the little rascal of Italian popular music, a rebel who plays rock against the unfair aspects of society. One of his most famous songs is called "Il Gatto e la Volpe" (The Cat and the Fox, from the Pinocchio story) and it refers to the sly people one might meet during his life.

Recommended pieces:

Sono solo canzonette

Il gatto e la volpe

Andrea Bocelli has reached a big success in Italy and abroad. He mixes the so called "light music" (popular music) with the tones and depth of Opera, creating each time interesting and capturing effects.

Recommended pieces:

Mi manchi

Canzoni stonate

Le tue parole

Angelo Branduardi, the singer-songwriter, minstrel and artist who seems to arrive from a medieval tale. His rhythms, his stories and his violin will inchant you very delicatly.

Recommended pieces:

Alla fiera dell'est

La pulce d'acqua

Fred Buscaglione, one of the fathers of Italian popular music. In the 50s, when Italy considered the United States as a dream country, Buscaglione sang "Voglio scoprire l'America" (I want to discover America), "Le bambole d'Italia" (Italian dolls) and "Guarda che luna" (Look, what a moon.)

Recommended pieces:

Che bambola

Guarda che luna

Eri piccola così

Paolo Conte, a well established lawyer who became a musician, author and singer. He is famous for the sophisticated and, sometimes, surreal lyrics of his songs, and the warm atmosphere he creates with his voice and music. If you go to his concerts don't aspect much interaction with the public; he is a silent man: he arrives, plays, sings and goes away.

Recommended pieces:

Via con me

Un vecchio errore

Gioco d'azzardo

Sotto le stelle del jazz

Lucio Dalla is one of the most loved and well known Italian artists. You might happen to meet him at night, in Bologna, his home-town, with a black cape, a walking stick and his usual hat. When listening to his songs, pay attention to his very nice and light accent from Bologna.

Recommended pieces:

Anna e Marco

L'anno che verrà

Cosa sarà

Pino Daniele is a fantastic and very good artist who brings us the colors of modern Naples. His music is a mix of rock, jazz and popular music, and the result is definitely energetic and moving. He plays with other famous Italian musicians: Tullio De Piscopo (drums), Tony Esposito (percussions), Joe Amoruso (keybords)... In his CD you will find several songs in Neapolitan dialect. Have a full immersion in the reality of Neapolitan and Italian colors, accents and sounds with Pino Daniele.

Recommended pieces:

Voglio di Più

Un giorno che non va

Fabrizio De Andrè, singer-songwriter and story-teller among the most loved and successful in Italy. Like the 'fisherman' of his song, he has a wrinkle along his face that resembles a smile. Bitter and sweet, but still a smile. Let yourself be captured by his deep and soothing voice.

Recommended pieces:

Amore che vieni, amore che vai

Il pescatore

Dolcenera

La guerra di Piero

Francesco de Gregori, another singer, song-writer, among the most loved by Italians. His easy-going professorial air and the lyrics of his songs are among the classics of Italian popular music. Some of his songs became the soundtrack of Italian movies by Gabriele Salvatores and Francesca Archibugi (two renowned contemporary Italian directors).

Recommended pieces:

Alice

Buonanotte fiorellino

Viva l'Italia

La donna cannone

Piano bar

Rimmel

Tiziano Ferro, a big hit of Italian music. In 1996, aged 16, he entered a gospel choir, which helped him out in improving his vocal skills and pushed him to better know the black music. In 2001 Tiziano signed a deal with EMI and in July of the same year he released his first single ever: the title of this single is "Perdono" and in matter of two months he finds himself on top of the Italian music hit.

Recommended pieces:

Rosso relativo

Ti voglio bene

Angiolina Mango, the rebel of Italian music. Daughter of the musician Mango, she won the famous San Remo Music Festival in 2024 and dedicated her victory to her late father.

Recommended pieces:

La Noia

Matia Bazar is a very interesting group. Matia is the lady singer; with a great voice. If you are a romantic person and love a good rhythm you will definitely like Matia Bazar

Recommended pieces:

Per un'ora d'amore

Vacanze romane

Mina, with a powerful voice, is among the most famous 'ladies' of Italian music. She started her musical carrier in the '60s, appearing on TV programs very often. Later she decided to completely disappear from the public scene refusing even to have her pictures taken or published. Few years ago, she started to publish her pictures again on her albums and CDs.

Celentano is a controversial artist; very popular in Italy; he is loved by some people for his lively energy, and totally disregarded by other people for his 'unrefined manners.' In our opinion, Celentano's deep and particular voice finds the best expression of his carrier in this work with Mina.

Recommended pieces:

Parole parole

Non gioco più

Il ragazzo della via Gluck

Acqua e sale

Domenico Modugno, a cornerstone of Italian music in the 1950s, gave us a great classic, Nel blu dipinto di blu, known internationally as Volare.

Recommended pieces:

Nel blu, dipinto di blu

Gino Paoli, a mith in Italian popular music. He has a strong passion for cats and, each time he can, he mentions a cat in the text of his passionate songs. The result is certainly soothing. In fact, one of his most famous songs is "La gatta" (The cat.)

Recommended pieces:

La gatta

Senza fine

Sapore di sale

Patty Pravo, with a cold image, blonde platinum and perfect, she is one of the most famous Italian singers. Her particular voice will mesmerize you.

Recommended pieces:

La valigia blu

La bambola

Laura Pausini, very young, very nice and very good. Powerful voice.

Recommended pieces:

La solitudine

Gente

Io canto

Eros Ramazzotti, the lovely little "kid" of Italian popular music, a nasal voice very successful in Italy and abroad. For the young people in love.

Recommended pieces:

Una storia importante

Vasco Rossi, the rock man who would like a "fearless and exaggerated life; a life like Steve McQueen". Rebel and 'against the tide', you'll hear how sweet he can be in many songs.

Recommended pieces:

Alba chiara

C'è chi dice no

Vita spericolata

Ornella Vanoni, another great lady of Italian music, "molto famosa e di talento". With a slightly nasal, but powerful voice, she will sing for you. Very intriguing.

Recommended pieces:

L'appuntamento

La voglia e l'allegria

Zucchero Fornaciari is the man of Italian blues and rock. Complex and complete artist, he is loved by youngsters as well as adults. He plays often with other famous artists, among them, Luciano Pavarotti, who sings with Zucchero the song "Miserere", included among the recommended pieces. "Miserere" (Miserere nobis deus = have mercy on us, God) is originally a Medieval christian liturgy chant. It was later revised by very famous composers such as Allegri, Mozart and others.

Recommended pieces:

Miserere

Madre dolcissima

Senza una donna