Paul Asciak's CD hits the right note

Retired Maltese tenor Paul Asciak may have walked off the stage decades ago, but his new CD is still hitting the high notes in the opera scene.

Paul Asciak: A Portrait - released last January to coincide with his 85th birthday - is a collection of live recordings from the 1950s, which has been put together for the first time by Michael Storrs Music of London.

Sales of his album have been healthy, amid good reviews by reputed opera magazines like Spanish Opera Actual, Italian Rivista Musica and Japanese Auditorium.

Asciak's career was a short, albeit intensive one, spanning over 15 years until he retired in 1961 to dedicate time to his family. Throughout his operatic career, Asciak performed in the company of renowned singers like Maria Callas, Dame Joan Sutherland, Anita Cerquetti, John Pritchard, Eric Kleiber, Sir John Barbirolli, and Sir Charles Groves.

Asciak has remained closely linked to the opera scene in recent years, serving as a teacher and mentor for Joseph Calleja.