In her first recital album devoted entirely to Italian opera, soprano Diana Damrau takes the golden age of bel canto, the early 19th century, as the starting point for an exploration of theatrical and musical passion that leads to the high-octane verismo drama of the 1890s. She sees Fiamma del Belcanto - 'the flame of beautiful singing' - as a torch of musical emotions, handed down by great Italian composers from one generation to the next.