'Il Tenore': Freddie De Tommaso Returns With a New Album of Opera Arias

Decca Classics announces the eagerly anticipated second album of British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso, entitled Il Tenore, to be released on 24th June. Featuring some of the most iconic arias and duets ever written for the operatic voice, it follows his hugely successful 2021 debut Passione which topped the UK Classical Charts. It also comes after a year in which he’s has taken Europe’s opera houses by storm – from La Scala in Milan, to Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerishe Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden and the Royal Opera House in London.

Declared one of The Observer’s ‘Faces to watch in 2022’, De Tommaso hit the headlines in December when he made his Royal Opera House role debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca in exceptional circumstances. Not due to make his first appearance until a week later, De Tommaso was called in midway through a performance when Bryan Hymel fell ill. De Tommaso’s performance brought the house down as he became not only the first British tenor to sing the role at the historic venue in 60 years but also the youngest ever. What was called a “historic moment” by The Times was followed by glowing reviews from the critics, with The Mail on Sunday writing, “A star is born. I don’t think anyone who joined in the ovation for 28-year-old Freddie De Tommaso… could be in any doubt that we were in at the birth of a great career.” Listeners can relive that night with De Tommaso’s recordings of “Recondita armonia”, “E lucevan le stelle” and the love duet “Mario, Mario, Mario!” (here with Lise Davidsen) on this album.

Just last year, De Tommaso became the first solo tenor to debut at No.1 in the UK Official Classical Artist Albums Chart for 20 years, as his first album sailed straight to the top spot on release. Il Tenore sees De Tommaso record a full album of opera arias for the first time, building on his acclaimed debut of Italian song. Alongside beloved lyrico spinto tenor arias, he is joined by a stellar line up of female singers to perform some of the most intense love duets in all opera; Lise Davidsen, Aigul Akhmetshina and Natalya Romaniw all appear on the record.

Freddie De Tommaso says, “I am incredibly excited to release my second album on Decca, Il Tenore, a collection of arias and duets from the operas which are central to my career at the moment and that I love to sing most. It is exciting to be able to share some of my favourite operatic repertoire with the public. I am so glad to be a part of the Decca family, and to be joined on this album by my fellow Decca artist Lise Davidsen, as well as my friends Aigul Akhmetshina and Natalya Romaniw which was great fun in the recording studio. I look forward to sharing our love of this timeless music with the listeners.”

This year, De Tommaso performs the role of Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Dresden Staatsoper and in a highly anticipated return to the Royal Opera House. On Il Tenore De Tommaso records “Addio, fiorito asil” and “Vogliatemi bene” (with Natalya Romaniw) from Madama Butterfly. From Turandot, De Tommaso records Calaf’s arias “Non piangere, Liu!”, and probably the most famous opera aria of all time, “Nessun Dorma!”

Don Jose, from Bizet’s Carmen, is a role that has been a favourite in De Tommaso’s repertoire, having first performed it as a student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and most recently at the Vienna Staatsoper in November 2021. The famous Flower Song – the aria “La fleur que m’avais jete” – is included along with the final scene of the opera “C’est toi, C’est moi” with the astonishing young mezzo Aigul Akhmetshina.

Joining De Tommaso on the record is the Philharmonia Orchestra with Italian conductor Paolo Arrivabeni.

Freddie De Tommaso is nominated in the category of “Best Newcomer” in this year’s BBC Music Magazine Awards, held on 28th April in London, for his debut album Passione.