Once the opportunity of a journey to the U.S. presented itself before and during our seminars of vocal coaching with Dr. Kimberle Moon and Rob Seible in Italy in the summer of 2008, I finally gathered the necessary leverage to convince Michelangelo to choose and record a selection of favorites from his Italian repertory.

I am personally very pleased with his choices, especially for the inclusion of Rosalina which has been and will remain one of my all time favorites. So, we met and sat and flipped through music until "Speranza" started shaping up; we consulted about what would be most effective; we looked for a studio that would help us record and mix the whole disc in record-breaking  time, and we ended up with something of which we are very proud.

I have been impressed with Michelangelo's attitude towards this endeavor. He is very focused and certain of how he wants each song to be perceived, yet he is very attentive and willing to take advice from his audiences. His stylistic choices are, in my opinion, surprisingly refreshing and exciting, tasteful and effective.
We originally intended to add an English title to the compilation, but after much consideration, we decided to postpone its recording untill he is back this fall, after having had a chance to be fully immersed in the culture and soul of America.

I would like to add to Michelangelo's thanks to include everyone who has and will support "Speranza". Special thanks go to Rob and Kimberle, and to the First Floor Studio staff: Lorenzo and Fabrizio Catinella for their patience and expertise.

Robert A. Rossi