Ludovic Tézier on Verdi, villains… and Wagner

Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo) in La forza del destino

Jonas Kaufmann (Don Alvaro) and Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo) in La forza del destino

By Mark Pullinger, 19 March 2019

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“a beautiful poison and I’m still dying from it!”

Danny Riley, 28th October

From fulfilling funerary functions, to eulogising friends and fellow artists, or lamenting the waste of war: here are some of the finest examples of music written in mourning.

Years of pilgrimage: Byron’s musical afterlives

Roy Westbrook, 22nd January

Lord Byron’s influence on musicians was immense – with Rossini, Verdi, Berlioz, Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Schoenberg among the many composers to create works inspired by his writings.

Bachtrack top ten: Giuseppe Verdi

Mark Pullinger, 9th October

Giuseppe Verdi was more than just an opera composer. He became a political figurehead. Our playlist includes nine of his most famous operas and his Requiem, described as “an opera in ecclesiastical garb”.

Keeping score: Riccardo Muti reflects on a lifetime in music

Mark Pullinger, 31st August

The Italian maestro, who recently stepped down as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, talks about learning from orchestras, future plans – and his frustrations with the world of opera.

Tearing up the box: Lise Davidsen on new roles and vocal stereotyping

Mark Pullinger, 4th August

The Norwegian soprano talks about pacing a career, new roles and resisting the offers that followed her Operalia success.

Mongrel sensibilities: Early music in Italy

Lawrence Dunn, 28th May

Giulio Prandi, conductor of Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri, and violinist and concertmaster Gabriele Pro talk about crossing borders, adopting shared sensibilities, and the challenges facing historically informed musicians in Italy today.

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

“To sing Verdi is not enough”: Ludovic Tézier on Verdi, villains… and Wagner