Gaetano Donizetti: La Favorita (RCA)

Artists:

Ramón Vargas: Fernand
Carlo Colombara Balthazar
Abbie Furmansky: Inès
Vesselina Kasarova: Léonor de Guzmán
Anthony Michaels-Moore: Alphonse XI
Francesco Piccoli: Don Gaspar

Bavarian Radio Chorus
Munich Radio Orchestra/Marcello Viotti

Key Facts:
Label: RCA
Length: 150 min.
Number of CD: 2
Recording date: September 26, 2000
Recorded Live at the Philharmonie am Gasteig, Munich

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REVIEWS
“Carlo Colombara is solid as Balthazar”
Arkiv Music

“Carlo Colombara offers solid vocal underpinning”
Joel Kasow, Andante

“The singing here is splendid, with Carlo Colombara continuing to impress with both his rich bass voice and fine sense for drama”
Robert Cummings, Classical Net

“Bass Carlo Colombara is a suitably morose and disapproving Balthazar”
Robert Levine, Classic Today

Giuseppe Verdi: Il Trovatore (Decca)

Artists:

Andrea Bocelli: Manrico
Veronica Villaroel: Leonora
Elena Zaremba: Azucena
Carlo Guelfi: Il conte di Luna
Carlo Colombara: Ferrando
Maria Gracia Calderone: Ines
Salvatore Bonaffini: Ruiz
Salvatore Todaro: Un vecchio zingaro

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania
Conductor: Steven Mercurio

Key Facts:
Length: 139 min.
Nº of discs: 2
Label: Decca

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REVIEWS

“Carlo Colombara sings Ferrando's music with energy and round tone”
Robert Levine, Classic Today

“Carlo Colombara acquit himself admirably in his part. [He] has an imposing, dark voice and does all right until he, like other Ferrandos, can’t quite handle the final few pages of the scene, which Verdi, unfortunately, has marked “Allegro assai agitato”.
James Miller, FANFARE

“Carlo Colombara [Ferrando] is one of the most interesting basses. He starts the opera as to the manner born, few better on disc”
Gramophone

“Auch Carlo Colombara weiß als Ferrando, vor allem stimmlich zu überzeugen. Sein voluminöser Bass erklingt durchdringend über dem Orchester, auch wenn es gelegentliche Abstimmungsprobleme zwischen Sänger und Orchester zu bemerken gibt”.
Klassik.com

Gioacchino Rossini: Stabat Mater (Naxos)

Artists:

Carlo Colombara
Patrizia Pace
Gloria Scalchi
Antonino Siragusa

Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
Hungarian State Opera Chorus

Key Facts:
Label: Naxos
Recording date: September, 1999
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REVIEWS

“The soloists are fine, with Antonio Siragusa relishing the 'Cujus animam', Patrizia Pace and Gloria Scalchi...blending pretty well in the 'Quis est homo', and Carlo Colombara coming into his own in the bass 'Pro pecatis'”
Peter Branscombe, Hi-Fi News

“High points of the performance include an epic rendering of the 'Pro peccatis' by the bass Carlo Colombara (he even attempts the trill, something avoided by most basses post-Plancon) and a predictably exciting account of the `Inflammatus'.”
Gramophone

Giuseppe Verdi: Jérusalem (TDK)

Artists:

Ivan Momirov: Gaston
Veronica Villarroel: Hélène
Federica Bragaglia: Isaure
Alain Fondary: Le Comte de Toulouse
Carlo Colombara: Roger
Carlo di Cristoforo: Adhémar de Monteuil

Coro e Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice
Conductor: Michel Plasson
Stage director: Piergiorgio Gay

Key Facts:
Length: 166 min.
Label: TDK
Recording date: November, 2000

You can buy it here

REVIEWS
“Carlo Colombara reléve le défi d’un personnage déchiré, qui par détermination décuple ses efforts pour retrouver l’humanité que sa jalousie première, avait écartée… Pour les solistes, notre enthousiasme s’émousse, sauf pour le Roger de Carlo Colombara dont la tenue de rôle au fur et à mesure du spectacle se bonifie de scène en scène”.
ClassicNews.com

“The most convincing singer is bass Carlo Colombara as the real murderer, Roger”
Review Focus

“The older generation does better, with Carlo Colombara vigorous and committed as the near-brother-killer-turned-hermit Roger”
BBC Music Magazine

“As the guilt-ridden Roger, the most interesting character in Jerusalem, Carlo Colomban sings with his customary authority”.
Gramophone

Giuseppe Verdi: The Very Best of Verdi (Naxos)

Tracklist
La forza del destino
Overture (Hungarian State Opera Orchestra/Morandi)
Pace, pace, mio dio (Gauci; Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra/Rahbari)
Solenne in quest’ora (Aragall; Tumagian; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Rahbari)

Nabucco
Va, pensiero (Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Dohnanyi)

Ernani
Surte e la notte…Ernani, involami (Mescheriakova; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Halasz)

Macbeth
Patria oppressa! (Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Dohnanyi)

Luisa Miller
Quando le sere al placido (Giordani; Catania Teatro Massimo Bellini Orchestra/Mercurio)

Rigoletto
Questa o quella; La donna e mobile; Pari siamo!; Cortigiani, vil razza dannata; Gualtier Malde … Caro nome (Ramiro; Tumagian; Ferrarini; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Rahbari)

Il Trovatore
Vedi, le fosche notturne; Il balen; Ah! Si, ben mio; Di quella pira; D’amor sull’ali rosee vane (Servile; Frusoni; Longhi; Budapest Festival Chorus, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra/Humburg)

Un ballo in maschera
Di tu se fedele (Harper; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Halasz)

Messa da Requiem
Dies irae; Tuba mirum; Ingemisco (Filipova; Scalchi; Hernandez; Carlo Colombara; Hungarian State Opera Chorus, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra/Morandi)

La Traviata
Libiamo, ne’lieti calici; Sempre libera; Lunge da lei per me; Di Provenza il mar (Krause; Ramiro; Tichy; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Rahbari)

Don Carlo
E lui! Desso l’Infante! … Dio, che nell’alma infondere (Aragall; Tumagian; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Rahbari)

Aida
Se quell guerrier io fossi! … Celeste Aida; Ritorna vincitor … I sacri nomi di padre; Gloria all’Egitto; Grand March; Ballet Music (Dragoni; Johannson; Ireland National Symphony Orchestra/Saccani)

Otello
Fuoco di gioia (Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Dohnanyi)
Mia madre aveva una povera ancella …Piangea cantando … Ave Maria (Gauci; Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra/Rahbari)

Falstaff
Ehi paggio! … L’onore! Ladri (Trimarchi; Hungarian State Opera Orchestra/Humburg)

Artists:
Conductors: Oliver Dohnanyi, Michael Halasz, Will Humburg, Steven Mercurio, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Alexander Rahbari, Ricco Saccani.
Orchestras: Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra; Catania Teatro Massimo Bellini Orchestra; Hungarian State Opera Orchestra; Ireland National Symphony Orchestra; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

Artists: Jaume Aragall, Carlo Colombara, Maria Dragoni, Alida Ferrarini, Elena Filipova, Maurizio Frusoni, Miriam Gauci, Marcello Giordani, Thomas Harper, Cesar Hernandez, Kristjan Johannson, Monika Krause, Daniela Longhi, Marina Mescheriakova, Yordy Ramiro, Gloria Scalchi, Roberto Servile, Georg Tichy, Domenico Trimarchi, Eduard Tumagian, Marian Vach.

Key Facts:
Label: NAXOS
Duration: 77:44 + 76:40
You can buy it here

REVIEWS
“Impressive, steady and sonorous is, on the other hand, Carlo Colombara, whose Tuba mirum from Requiem (CD2 tr.2) recalls Ezio Pinza”.
Göran Forsling, Music Web

Amilcare Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Dynamic)

Recorded live at the Arena di Verona, Italy, June 2005

Artists

Andrea Gruber (La Gioconda, a street singer)
Marco Berti (Enzo Grimaldi, exiled Genoese prince in love with Laura)
Alberto Mastromarino (Barnaba, sadistic spy who lusts after Gioconda)
Eildiko Komlosi (Laura Adorno, wife of Alvise and loved by Enzo)
Carlo Colombara (Alvise, one of the Heads of the State Inquisition)
Elisabetta Fiorillo (La Cieca, blind mother of Gioconda)

Orchestra, Chorus and Corps de Ballet of the Arena di Verona
Donato Renzetti (conductor)
Pier Luigi Pizzi (director)

Key Facts
Length: 162 min.
Nº of disc: 2 DVD, 3 CDs
Label: DYNAMIC

You can buy it here

REVIEWS

“Colombara is another to reveal a lovely legato”
Colin Clarke, Music Web

“Carlo Colombara, en Alvise, a du creux et de la noblesse”
Vincent Deloge, ResMusica

“Both the Barnaba of Alberto Mastromarino and the Alvise of Carlo Colombara are sung with firm expressive tone. Carlo Colombara’s Alvise is strongly sung and acted. He is physically imposing and sings with good diction and a wide range of expression in Si, morir ella (D 2 Ch.1). He is a very definite plus among today’s Italian basso cantante. His vocal and acting abilities are very evident and a great strength in this production”.
Robert J Farr, Music Web

“Bass Carlo Colombara sings Alvise with the requisite snarl and notable tonal center”.
Robert Levine, Classic Today

Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Dynamic)

Artists

Vladimir Stoyanov: Lord Enrico Ashton
Mariella Devia: Lucia
Giuseppe Sabbatini: Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood
Blagoj Nacoski: Lord Arturo Buklaw
Carlo Colombara: Raimondo Bidebent
Damiana Pinti: Alisa
Enrico Cossutta: Normanno

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Conductor: Gérard Korsten

Key Facts:
Label: Dynamic
Duration: 65:15 + 71:16
Nº of discs: 2

You can buy it here

REVIEWS

“Carlo Colombara, en un papel que es breve, confirma su línea aristocrática, su estilo noble y un buen dominio del personaje”.
Albert Vilardell, Scherzo

“Como Raimondo, Carlo Colombara atrae la atención cada vez que hace acto de presencia, por su categoría vocal desde luego, pero igualmente por la forma especial de decir y comunicar”.
Fernando Fraga, Cine y Letras

“The reliable Carlo Colombara is a dramatic and imposing Raimondo who delivers a splendid cabaletta Al ben de’ tuoi qual vittima”.
Göran Forsling, Music Web

“Colombara is a suitably grave Raimondo”.
Grammophone

“I liked Carlo Colombara as Raimondo very much”.
David L. Kirk, Classic Music Review

“Excellent Colombara qui, dansle rôle de Raimondo, phrase avec élégance chacune de ses interventions”
Codaex

Amilcare Ponchielli: La Gioconda (TDK)

This DVD was recorded live in the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona in 2005

Artists:

Deborah Voight: Gioconda
Elisabetta Fiorillo: Laura Adorno a Genoese lady, Alvise’s wife
Carlo Colombara: Alvise Badoero, one of the heads of the State Inquisition
Ewa Podels: La Cieca, Gioconda’s blind mother
Richard Margison: Enzo Grimaldo, Genoese prince
Orchestra & Chorus of the Arena di Verona
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Stage director: Pier Luigi Pizzi

Key Facts
Length: 174 min.
Nº of disc: 2
Label: TDK

You can buy it here

REVIEWS

“Carlo Colombara, whom I first heard on Morandi’s Naxos recording of Verdi’s Requiem and was deeply impressed, is a bit woolly in the first act but comes into his own in the third where he cuts an imposing Alvise and sings the recitative and aria that open the act with dark steady tone”.
Göran Forsling, Music Web

“Carlo Colombara is a properly cold Alvise, his sound big and scary as he condemns [Laura] to death”.
Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

“Carlo Colombara est un Alvise à la voix chaude et incisive”.
Valéry Fleurquin, ResMusica

“Solider Bass Carlo Colombara”
Jochen Breiholz, Rondo

Giuseppe Verdi: Nabucco (Decca)

Artists

Leo Nucci (Nabucco)
Maria Guleghina (Abigaille)
Carlo Colombara (Zaccaria)

Orchestra & Chorus of the Arena di Verona Daniel Oren (conductor)

Key Facts

Filmed in High-Definition Widescreen. Includes 'Making of' documentary as an extra and English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese subtitles.
Duration: 154 mins
Nº of disc: 1 Disc
Format: NTSC DVD
Audio Selection: LPCM Stereo / DTS 5.1 Surround

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REVIEWS

“Très crédible dans son rôle…Carlo Colombara (Zaccaria) ne manque pas de voix non plus”.
Jean-Charles Goldstuck, ResMusic.com

“Best of the principals is Carlo Colombara’s Zaccaria, who delivers big and authoritative singing”.
George Hall, BBC Music Magazine

“Carlo Colombara's Zaccaria is robust and of vibrant colour”.
Fabio Zannoni, Il Giornale della Musica

“…al costat del gran Zaccaria que és Carlo Colombara”.
Jaume Radigales, Dietari Operistic

“La basse Carlo Colombara est un Zaccaria tout àfait correct”.
Audrey Vasselin, ClassiqueInfoDisque.com

“The High Priest, Zaccaria, the third major character, has one of the great bass roles in the Verdi repertoire: finely sung here by Carlo Colombara, firm, sonorous and noble in bearing”.
John Steane, Music Web

Vincenzo Bellini, La Sonnambula (Virgin Classic)

Awards:
"Diamant" Opéra Magazine, October 2007
"CHOC" Monde de la Musique, October 2007
Diapason d'Or/Arte October 2007

Artists:

Natalie Dessay: Amina
Carlo Colombara: Il conte Rodolfo
Francesco Meli: Elvino
Sara Mingardo: Teresa
Jaël Azzaretti: Lisa
Paul Gay: Alessio
Gordon Gietz: Un notaro
Director: Orchestre et Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon Evelino Pido

Key Facts:
Length: 74 min.
Label: Virgin Classics
Recording date: 02/10/2009
Number of Discs: 1

You can buy it here

Reviews:

“El Rodolfo de Carlo Colombara es quizás el personaje configurado de manera más ortodoxa de los que protagonizan esta versión. El dominio que tiene de su papel es indiscutible: impostación, elegante línea melódica, hermoso color y expresión noble son sus cualidades más destacables”
J.G. Messerschmidt, MundoClasico

“Furthermore Carlo Colombara triumphs as a true basso cantante with even, smooth, flexible delivery. Vi ravviso has rarely been sung with such warmth and elegance”.
Göran Forsling, Music Web

“As Rodolfo, Carlo Colombara has a secure, lyrical voice and is well inside the notes of his cavatina, for example”.
Dominic McHugh, Musical Criticism

“Carlo Colombara brings a honeyed seductiveness to his rich, resonant bass, making the character of Rodolfo a sort of sympathetic Don Giovanni”.
Dave Paxton, Music Omh

“Le Rodolfo de Carlo Colombara, élégant et racé”.
Christophe RIZOUD, Forum Opera

“Il y a toutefois un très bon Rodolfo (Carlo Colombara)”. Nicolas Blanmont, La Libre “Carlo Colombara’s Rodolfo is suitably beefy, tender too when Amina sleepwalks into his room”.
Christopher Cook, Music Magazine

The suave Count Rodolfo is sung by Carlo Colombara, one of Italy's leading basses. © EMI