The Complete Francisco Viñas

Viñas possessed a powerful, heroic-tenor voice that was beautifully focused with great warmth, which made him well suited for a wide range of roles including Wagner in Italian. Viñas (1863–1933) began his studies at the Conservatory in Barcelona, where he made his debut in 1888. He quickly rose to great success in Italy and soon was engaged at opera houses around the world. He was especially loved at La Scala and was a popular member of the Metropolitan Opera from 1893–1897. This three-CD set is the first complete Viñas edition ever assembled including some extremely rare Fonotipia titles. This set reveals a beautiful voice and consummate musician who was often referred to as the successor to the great Spanish tenor Julien Gayarré.