Piotr Beczala
Encyclopedia
Piotr Beczała is a Polish
opera
tic tenor
.
Piotr Beczała was born in southern Poland and initially trained in Katowice
. His first engagements were with the Landestheatre in Linz
, after which he became a regular member of Zurich Opera
. Between 2004-2006, Beczała made several major international house debuts. In April 2004, he made his debut at London's Royal Opera House
as the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier
, later returning in October of that year in the title role of Faust
, then in June 2005 as the Duke in Rigoletto
, and in September 2006, again in Faust. In November 2004, he made his San Francisco Opera
and American debut as Lensky in Eugene Onegin
. Beczała's La Scala
debut came in January 2006 as the Duke in Rigoletto, the role in which he also made Metropolitan Opera
debut on December 19, 2006.
In 2007 he was awarded the Munich Opera Festival
Prize which acknowledges outstanding accomplishments by departments and members of the Bavarian State Opera
as well as members of the Festival performance casts for his performances in Rigoletto, Der Rosenkavalier and Werther
.
Beczała appears as Alfredo Germont in the Farao Classics recording of La traviata
which was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award
. The CD is a live recording from the Bavarian State Opera's March 2006 production with Anja Harteros
as Violetta, Paolo Gavanelli as Giorgio Germont, and Zubin Mehta
conducting.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
.
Piotr Beczała was born in southern Poland and initially trained in Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
. His first engagements were with the Landestheatre in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, after which he became a regular member of Zurich Opera
Zurich Opera
Oper Zürich is an opera company based in Zurich, Switzerland. The company gives performances in the Opernhaus Zürich which has been the company’s home for fifty years.-History:...
. Between 2004-2006, Beczała made several major international house debuts. In April 2004, he made his debut at London's Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
as the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
, later returning in October of that year in the title role of Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, then in June 2005 as the Duke in Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, and in September 2006, again in Faust. In November 2004, he made his San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
and American debut as Lensky in Eugene Onegin
Eugene Onegin (opera)
Eugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin....
. Beczała's La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
debut came in January 2006 as the Duke in Rigoletto, the role in which he also made Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
debut on December 19, 2006.
In 2007 he was awarded the Munich Opera Festival
Munich Opera Festival
The Munich Opera Festival, , is an opera festival located in Munich, Germany and presented annually at the National Theatre by the Bavarian State Opera...
Prize which acknowledges outstanding accomplishments by departments and members of the Bavarian State Opera
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
as well as members of the Festival performance casts for his performances in Rigoletto, Der Rosenkavalier and Werther
Werther
Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe....
.
Beczała appears as Alfredo Germont in the Farao Classics recording of La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
which was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. The CD is a live recording from the Bavarian State Opera's March 2006 production with Anja Harteros
Anja Harteros
Anja Harteros is a German operatic soprano. In 1999, she became the first German to win the Cardiff Singer of the World competition -Biography:...
as Violetta, Paolo Gavanelli as Giorgio Germont, and Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
conducting.