Joseph Calleja: "An operatic voice is not boring!"

6 September 2013, 16:27 | Updated: 18 September 2014, 15:44

The tenor speaks to his long standing friend and Classic FM presenter David Mellor about the appeal of his new album, Amore.

Aimed at opera lovers and novices alike, Joseph Calleja's new album showcases the tenor's linguistic talents as well as his vocals. It's not just about keeping his opera-loving fans entertained though; Joseph's keen to dispel the myths surrounding the genre, proving once and for all that opera is for everyone.

"Listen, an operatic voice is not boring," he explains. "Verdi, Puccini, Massenet, Gounod, Bizet are not the only composers that a voice can do justice to. We can also do justice to modern music, to songs from Morricone for example, and even a song like La Vie en Rose from Edith Piaf."

Ahead of the first broadcast of a track from Amore on David Mellor's New Releases Show, 9pm on Saturday night, David and Joseph explore the motivation behind this new album.