Joseph Calleja is releasing his first sacred music album – Ave Maria – featuring traditional favourites, and a “stunning rendition” of Andrea Bocelli’s composition of Ave Maria.

Bocelli said that “Joseph Calleja is one of the best tenors of his generation and it is an enormous honour to hear him sing the prayer I have written which is so appropriate for the times we are living in today.”

This is the Maltese tenor’s first ever sacred music album for Decca Classics and was recorded entirely in Malta.

Among several firsts, Calleja’s seventh album for the prestigious label – containing no less than four Ave Marias (by Mascagni, Massenet, Schubert and Bocelli) – sees the renowned tenor singing alongside the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of its principal conductor Sergey Smbatyan.

Calleja said, “I have wanted to record sacred music album for many years and I am immensely proud that we could produce ‘Ave Maria’ in Malta, which is renowned the world over for its immensely rich religious and cultural heritage.”Decca Classics Label Director Dominic Fyfe said, “‘Ave Maria’ celebrates Joseph’s 20th anniversary on Decca and what better way to mark that milestone than to have him partner with the Malta Philharmonic for the first time on record.”

He added that “his album is proudly ‘Made in Malta’ and we are excited to share this with our markets and audiences across the world.”

MPO Chairman Alfred Camilleri said, “this album is an artistic and musical milestone for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and we are delighted to be involved.”

Among other highlights on ‘Ave Maria’ are Calleja’s celebrated rendition of the Ingemisco from the Verdi Requiem and two splendid sacred tenor pieces by Rossini.

Following these is another guest appearance, this time by French baritone Étienne Dupuis, in the most famous tenor/baritone duet in opera, from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers.

Also included is Rienzi’s stirring prayer from Wagner’s early grand opera, and the first, ‘angelic’ song from his Wesendock Lieder, giving the listener the chance to hear Calleja sing Wagner for the first time ahead of his debut as Parsifal at Bayreuth this summer.

‘Ave Maria’ will be released in time for Easter on April 7.

TRACKLIST:

Pietro Mascagni: Ave Maria (Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana)

Giuseppe Verdi: Messa da Requiem: Ingemisco

Jules Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs

Georges Bizet: Agnus Dei (after L’Arlesienne Suite No 2; Intermezzo)

Andrea Bocelli: Ave Maria

Alessandro Stradella: Pietà, Signore

Gioachino Rossini: Stabat Mater: Cujus animam gementem

Gioachino Rossini: Petite messe solennelle; II. Gloria – No. 4 Domine Deus

Georges Bizet: Au fond du temple saint from Les pécheurs de perles (Pearl Fishers Duet)

Richard Wagner: Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen (WWV 49): Allmacht’ger Vater blick herab Richard Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder WWV91: No.1 Der Engel

Franz Xaver Gruber: Silent Night

Adolphe Adam: O Holy Night

Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori: Tu scendi dalle stelle

Franz Schubert: Ave Maria, D.839.

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