DIANA DAMRAU: I WEAR FAKE FUR

STAR SOPRANO DIANA DAMRAU TURNS TO LUXURY FAKE FUR IN A GLAMOROUS STATEMENT
AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY IN HAUTE COUTURE

German soprano Diana Damrau’s new album, Grand Opera, presents the genre at its most grandiose and opulent. It features eleven dazzling arias and duets – including two world-premiere recordings – by Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864), a composer synonymous with the splendours of 19th-century Parisian grand opéra and a major influence on the two titans of Romantic opera, Verdi and Wagner. Damrau meets Meyerbeer’s vocal challenges on the album with a fusion of brilliant coloratura, lyricism and dramatic power.

In the opera world, high art and high fashion are inextricably linked, and Diana Damrau embodies the glamour and elegance of a true prima donna. Nonetheless, on the cover of her new album she challenges the perception of luxury and extravagance that has become synonymous with diva antics.

Although many of her iconic predecessors – Maria Callas, Victoria de los Angeles, Renata Scotto, Beverly Sills, Leontyne Price and Marian Anderson to name just a few – were often photographed draped in plush mink coats and stoles, Damrau has taken a stand, opting instead for haute couture fake fur: the conscious solution for a modern-day diva.

In Jürgen Frank’s stunning photographs for the album cover of Grand Opera, Damrau chose to champion New York fashion house Pelush, pioneering makers of luxury faux fur. According to Pelush founder, Milan-born designer Anna Tagliabue, these creations are “ecologically sensitive and cruelty-free…a wonderful alternative for the modern woman”.

“Pelush’s stunning faux fur made me feel like Cinderella at the ball,” said Diana Damrau.

The coloratura soprano hopes that the garment and styling for Grand Opera will capture the essence of Meyerbeer, “a composer of indispensible French works whose effortless sensuality, beauty and elegance are unparalleled”.

Diana Damrau’s album Grand Opera – Meyerbeer arias – will be released in May, 2017.

“Pelush’s stunning faux fur made me feel like Cinderella at the ball,” said Diana Damrau… Click Here To Read More