Gaetano Donizetti, was born in Bergamo on November 29th 1797. Bergamo, city with a rich and interesting history started even before the Romans with the Celts, is located not far from Milan in the same metropolitan area, only 30 km away from lakes Como and Iseo and also close to the Alps, which foothills begin right on its north side.

The Teatro San Carlo, certainly one of the finest and biggest in Europe was opened in 1737. Two years later, in 1739 French politician and writer Charles de Brosses referred to Naples as “the world capital of music”.

Now available on demand until 20th of April 2017, Puccini’s La bohème, which opened the 2016-2017 opera season and was broadcasted from the Teatro Regio in Turin. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Regio in a new staging by Àlex Ollé. This staging of La Bohème marks the 120th anniversary of the opera world premiere, which took place at the Regio on 1st of February 1896 conducted by a 29 years old Arturo Toscanini.

Operatic voices are divided into 4 categories: soprano (high female), alto (low female), tenor (high male) and bass (low male). There are also 2 intermediate voices: mezzo soprano, female voice and baritone, male voice between tenor and bass. There are many more subtle distinctions used to define the range, tone, colour and timbre of a voice. They developed as a consequence of increasingly demanding roles which required more specific vocal types.