Complete Songs of Stefano Donaudy: 36 Arie di Stile Antico (Songs in the Ancient Style) Performed by American Tenor Thomas Poole and American Pianist Rob Hallquist. THOMAS POOLE is a versatile tenor, who is equally at home performing in opera oratorio, symphony concert, music theater, and as a recitalist. He has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia. These include: New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera, Spoleto Festival, Dominican Republic Symphony, Warsaw Symphony, Opera Colorado, and the Washington Kennedy Center. Opera News has hailed him as an "Impressive Lyric Tenor," and he is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado. STEFANO DONAUDY was born in Palermo, Sicily in 1879 and died in Naples in 1925, at the age of 46. The title, "Arie de Stile Antico," refers to the rich history of Italian songs, predominately of the earlier masters. Donaudy's songs are unmistakably romantic but utilize the musical forms of the popular songs of the 13th to the 17th centuries. Although Donaudy composed six operas and several other works, he is remembered only for the "Arie di Stile Antico." Were it not for the inclusion of "Vaghissima sembianza" on one of the last recordings of Enrico Caruso, this composer would likely have fallen into obscurity. Teachers, singers, and audiences have embraced these songs for their beauty, sentimentality, and operatic qualities.