Born in Rome in 1892, Ezio Pinza was an opera star for the most part of his career, performing at theatres ranging from Milan ’s La Scala, New York ’s Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden and Paris Opéra to Salzburg Festival, San Francisco and Chicago . After retiring from the Met stage (where he resided at the height of his vocal powers and career) in 1948, Pinza continued his great career appearing in musicals and on Broadway. He had particular success appearing in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, from which some songs on this collection are taken. This disc offers a selection of original recordings from the period 1949-1954, when Pinza had successfully made the transition from opera to musicals, displaying his distinctive voice through a series of well loved classics.