Marco Lazzara (born 1962) is an Italian

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a s ...

who sings a wide-ranging repertoire from

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

composers to those of the 20th century and has performed in a number of notable premieres and revivals of rarely performed

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s. He has recorded widely on the Bongiovanni,

Ricordi Ricordi may refer to: People *Giovanni Ricordi (1785–1853), Italian violinist and publishing company founder *Giulio Ricordi (1840–1912), Italian publisher and musician Music *Casa Ricordi, an Italian music publishing company established in ...

, Nuova Era, Forlane,

Opera Rara Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don Whi ...

and

Dynamic Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to: Physics and engineering * Dynamics (mechanics) ** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air ** Analytical dynam ...

labels.

Career

Lazzara received diplomas in piano, organ, harpsichord and singing, followed by studies at the

Accademia Musicale Chigiana The Accademia Musicale Chigiana (''English'': Chigiana Musical Academy) is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi-Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classe ...

in Siena, and made his professional debut in 1989. In the field of baroque music, Lazzara has sung as a leading soloist with the Alessandro Stradella Consort in a series of performances and world premiere recordings, including, Stradella's ''Il barcheggio'', ''Moro per amore'', and ''Esule dalle sfere'' and

Nicola Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students included compose ...

's ''Dorindo dormi ancor?'' on the Bongiovanni label. He also appears in the world premiere recording of

Niccolò Piccinni Niccolò Piccinni (; 16 January 1728 – 7 May 1800) was an Italian composer of symphonies, sacred music, chamber music, and opera. Although he is somewhat obscure today, Piccinni was one of the most popular composers of opera—particularly the ...

's ''

Salve Regina The "Salve Regina" (, ; meaning 'Hail Queen'), also known as the "Hail Holy Queen", is a Marian hymn and one of four Marian antiphons sung at different seasons within the Christian liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The Salve Regina ...

'' and ''Dixit Dominus'' on Bongiovanni. Lazzara was the first countertenor to sing the role of Orfeo in

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the ...

's ''

Orfeo ed Euridice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on Orpheus, the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the ''azione teatrale'', mea ...

'' in Italy with a series of 1996 performances in

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

and

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

. In 2001, he sang the title role of

Antonio Cesti Pietro Marc'Antonio Cesti () (baptism 5 August 162314 October 1669), known today primarily as an Italian composer of the Baroque era, was also a singer (tenor), and organist. He was "the most celebrated Italian musician of his generation". Biogra ...

's ''Il Tito'' in its first modern revival since 1983. The production at the

Opéra national du Rhin The Opéra national du Rhin is an opera company which performs in Alsace, eastern France. It includes the Opéras in Strasbourg, in Mulhouse, where the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin, also known as the Ballet Du Rhin, is based, and in Colmar, ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants premiered a newly edited score by music scholar Alan Curtis. In the

bel canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

repertoire, Lazzara sang the role of Lurcanio in

Simon Mayr Johann(es) Simon Mayr (also spelled Majer, Mayer, Maier), also known in Italian as Giovanni Simone Mayr or Simone Mayr (14 June 1763 – 2 December 1845), was a German composer. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the ...

's ''

Ginevra di Scozia ''Ginevra di Scozia'' is an opera in two acts by Simon Mayr set to an Italian libretto by Gaetano Rossi based on Antonio Salvi's ''Ginevra, principessa di Scozia'', which in turn was adapted from cantos 5 and 6 of Ludovico Ariosto's ''Orlando Fur ...

'' in a series of performances (and world premiere recording) in April 2001 at the

Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi The Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi is an opera house located in Trieste, Italy and named after the composer Giuseppe Verdi. Privately constructed, it was inaugurated as the Teatro Nuovo to replace the smaller 800-seat "Cesareo Regio Teatro di San Pie ...

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

to mark the bicentenary of the opera's premiere and its first performance in modern times. Lazzara has also recorded an album of arias and duets by

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

with Annick Massis (''Duo d'amore'') on the Forlane label, and a solo album of arias and songs by Bellini on the Dynamic label. The latter contains the first recording of

Francesco Florimo Francesco Florimo (12 October 1800 – 18 December 1888) was an Italian librarian, musicologist, historian of music, and composer.Libby, Dennis; Rosselli, John. "Florimo, Francesco" in Sadie 2001. Early life and friendship with Bellini Florimo ...

's "Tu che al pianger" based on a theme from Bellini's ''

La straniera ''La straniera'' (''The Foreign Woman'') is an opera in two acts with music by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the novel ''L'Étrangère'' (2 vols, 1825) by Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt, although ...

''. Lazzara's performances in 20th century works include the role of Edgar in the Italian premiere of

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (born 4 March 1936) is a German composer, pianist and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera ''Lear (opera), Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietrich F ...

's ''

Lear Lear or Leir may refer to: Acronyms * Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios, a Mexican association of revolutionary artists and writers * Low Energy Ion Ring, an ion pre-accelerator of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN ** Low Energy Antipr ...

'' at the

Teatro Regio di Torino The Teatro Regio (Royal Theatre) is a prominent opera house and opera company in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. Its season runs from October to June with the presentation of eight or nine operas given from five to twelve performances of each. Several bu ...

in October 2001; Manichino di Donna in the world premiere of

Azio Corghi Azio Corghi (9 March 1937 – 17 November 2022) was an Italian composer, academic teacher and musicologist. He composed mostly operas and chamber music. His operas are often based on literature, especially in collaboration with José Saramago a ...

's ''Il Dissoluto Assolto'' at the

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos The ''Teatro Nacional de São Carlos'' () (''National Theatre of Saint Charles'') is an opera house in Lisbon, Portugal. It was opened on June 30, 1793 by Queen Maria I as a replacement for the Tejo Opera House, which was destroyed in the 1755 Li ...

, Lisbon, in March 2006 (reprised for its Italian premiere at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

the following September); Il delegato in the world premiere of Bruno de Franceschi's ''Il paradiso degli esuli'' (Pisa, 27 October 1994); and Sesto Simbolo in the world premiere of Adriano Guarnieri's ''Pietra di diaspro'' at the

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pre ...

on 10 June 2007 (reprised for the

Ravenna Festival The Ravenna Festival is a summer festival of opera and classical music (as well as dance, jazz, ethnic, musical theater, ballett, sacred music, electronic music, drama, film, plus conventions and exhibitions) held in the city of Ravenna, Italy and t ...

later that year). Lazzara has also performed as a soloist in

Giacomo Manzoni Giacomo Manzoni (born Milan 26 September 1932) is an Italian composer. He studied composition from 1948 in Messina with Gino Contilli, and continued his studies from 1950 to 1956 at the Milan Conservatory. In 1955 he obtained a doctorate in ...

's ''Trame d'Ombre'' (''Webs of Shadows'') at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

(April 2000) and in the first Italian performance of

Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, link=no, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer of Jewish-German descent. Among the most performed and re ...

's cantata based on the

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

legend, ''Seid nüchtern und wachet''. The latter performance was broadcast live by

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

Radio 3 on 22 April 2007.RAI Radio 3 (22 April 2007) He will be present in Schnittke's Faust cantata in September 2012 at the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

in Paris, with

Vladimir Fedoseyev Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev ( rus, Владимир Иванович Федосе́ев, p=, links=no; born 5 August 1932, in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Soviet and Russian conductor, accordionist, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1980). ...

conducting.

Discography

* Bellini: ''Arias'' – Marco Lazzara (countertenor), Angela Castellarin (piano). Label: Dynamic 271 *

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

: ''Cantatas'' – Marco Lazzara (countertenor), Orchestra da Camera di Genova, Antonio Plotino (conductor). Label: Dynamic 222 *

Mayr Mayr is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrea Mayr (born 1979), Austrian female long-distance runner * Ernst Mayr (1904–2005), German American evolutionary biologist * Georg Mayr (1564–1623), Bavarian Jesuit pri ...

: ''

'' –

Elizabeth Vidal Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

(soprano); Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano); Antonio Siragusa (tenor); Luca Grassi (baritone); Giuseppina Piunti (soprano); Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Orchestra del Teatro Verdi di trieste; Tiziano Severini (conductor). Label:

ORC23 * Scarlatti: ''Abramo, il tuo sembiante'' (Christmas cantata) – Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Giovanni Dagnino (bass); Silvia Piccollo (soprano); The Stradella Consort; Esteban Velardi (conductor). Label: Nuova Era 7117 *''Duo d'amore'' (arias and duets by

) – Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Annick Massis (soprano); Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana; Enrique Mazzola (conductor). Label: Forlane 16807 * Stradella: ''Il barcheggio'' – Valentina Valente (soprano); Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Giovanni Dagnino (bass); Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor) Label: Bongiovanni GB 2102 *Stradella: ''Moro per amore'' – Mark Beasley (tenor); Marco Lazzara (countertenor);

Roberta Invernizzi Roberta Invernizzi (born 1966, in Milan) is an Italian soprano. She originally studied piano and double bass before turning to singing. She specialises in early music from the baroque and classical period of music. She has sung in many operas ...

(soprano); Riccardo Ristori (bass); Silvia Piccollo (soprano); Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2153 *Stradella: ''Esule dalle sfere'' – Roberta Invernizzi (soprano); Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Riccardo Ristori (bass); Mario Nuvoli (tenor); Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2165 *

Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students included compose ...

: ''Dorindo dormi ancor?'' – Rosita Frisani (soprano); Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Roberta Invernizzi (soprano); Alessandro Stradella Consort; Estevan Velardi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2181 * Piccinni: ''

'' and ''Dixit Dominus'' –

Maria Luigia Borsi Maria Luigia Borsi (born 1973) is an Italian opera singer. A lyric soprano, she is especially known for interpreting operas by Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. Among the qualities noted by the critical press are her breath control, phrasing, ...

(soprano); Marco Lazzara (countertenor); Elena Cecchi Fedi (soprano); Gregory Bonfatti (tenor); Cappella S. Cecilia della Cattedrale di Lucca; Orchestra Città Lirica; Gianfranco Cosmi (conductor). Label: Bongiovanni GB 2338 *

Fabio Vacchi Fabio Vacchi (; born February 19, 1949), is an Italian composer. Biography Training and debut Fabio Vacchi studied at the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini of Bologna with Giacomo Manzoni and Tito Gotti. In 1974 he participated in the cou ...

: ''Luoghi immaginari'' – Marco Lazzara (countertenor); EnsembleMusica20; , Mauro Bonifacio (conductors). Label: Ricordi/BMG CRMCD 1043

Notes

References

*Arruga, Lorenzo
"Tenera «Sancta Susanna» Ma che fiasco «Il dissoluto»"
''

Il Giornale ''il Giornale'' ( en, The Newspaper) is an Italian language daily newspaper published in Milan, Italy. History and profile The newspaper was founded in 1974 by the journalist Indro Montanelli, together with the colleagues Enzo Bettiza, Ferenc ...

'', 24 September 2006. Accessed 23 April 2009. *''

Diário de Notícias ''Diário de Notícias'' () is a Portuguese daily newspaper published in Lisbon, Portugal. Established since 1864, the paper is considered a newspaper of record for Portugal. History and profile ''Diário de Notícias'' was first published in ...

''
"José Saramago e Azio Corghi dão 'chance' a Don Giovanni"
18 March 2006. Accessed 23 April 2009. *'' El Mundo''
"Gioachino Rossini: arias y dúos de amor"
''El Cultural'' supplement, 11 April 2001. Accessed 23 April 2009. * Jellinek, George
''Ginevra di Scozia''
(recording review), ''The Opera Quarterly'' – Volume 20, Number 1, Winter 2004, pp. 136–138. Accessed via subscription 23 April 2009. *Koegler, Horst

''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also support ...

'', September 2001. Accessed 23 April 2009. * (review of Lazzara's performance of Giacomo Manzoni's ''Trame d'Ombre'' at

) *Lessner, Joanne Sydney
Recording review: Duo d'amore
''Opera News'', September 2001. Accessed 23 April 2009. *Pugliaro, Giorgio (ed.)
''Opera '95. Annuario dell'opera lirica in Italia''
EDT srl, 1995, p. 185. *Pugliaro, Giorgio (ed.)
''Opera '97. Annuario dell'opera lirica in Italia''
EDT srl, 1997, pp. 208–209. *Pugliaro, Giorgio (ed.)
''Opera 2002. Annuario dell'opera lirica in Italia''
EDT srl, 2002, p. 312. *Pugliaro, Giorgio (ed.)
''Opera 2007. Annuario dell'opera lirica in Italia''
EDT srl, 2007, p. 127. *

Radio 3
Domenica in Concerto
22 April 2007. Accessed 23 April 2009. *RAI Radio 5
"Le voci della lirica: contraltista, Marco Lazzara"
(profile in Italian), broadcast on 18 December 2008. Accessed 23 April 2009. *Sanvitale, Francesco
''La romanza italiana da salotto''
EDT srl, 2002, p. 210. *Teatro Regio di Torino

''Sistema Musica'', October 2001. Accessed 23 April 2009.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lazzara, Marco Operatic countertenors Italian opera singers Living people 1962 births