DJ Sessions: Opera That Transports Listeners To Italy

Minnesota Public Radio's Ryan Lohr (@ClassicalMPR) says American tenor Lawrence Brownlee sings so authentically in Italian that it makes him feel as if he has been transported to Italy.

"There was no one who did it better than Pavarotti, but I think that Lawrence Brownlee comes pretty close," Lohr tells Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson. Lohr also shares other new opera releases.

Note: We have a Spotify playlist and an Apple Music playlist for our weekly DJ Sessions.

"Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro," composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from "The Marriage of Figaro"

Performed by Sonya Yoncheva (soprano) with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin

"Kavll," composed by Anders Hillborg

Performed by Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo)

"Quanto e bella! Quanto e cara!," composed by Gaetano Donizetti, from "The Elixir of Love"

Performed by Lawrence Brownlee (tenor) with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Constantine Oberlian

"I puritani: O rendetemi la speme," composed by Vincenzo Bellini

Performed by Diana Damrau (soprano) with the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda

"The Abduction from the Seraglio: Finale," composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performed by Robin Johannsen (soprano), Mari Eriksmoen (soprano), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor), Julian Pregardien (tenor), Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass) with the Academy for Ancient Music Berlin, conducted by Rene Jacobs