Overview

Growing up in the heart of London's immigrant Italian community, Michael Volpe always felt disconnected from the UK, the country of his birth. He felt different to his friends, had alternative cultural experiences, and never truly felt he belonged – an unease that has been exacerbated by Brexit for many immigrant families living in the UK. Exploring his colourful, rich and often dramatic life in London and summers spent in southern Italy among his large extended family, Do I Bark Like a Dog? considers the roots of Volpe's identity. Delving into family secrets and lies, he discovers how extraordinary events filtered through time to propel his unlikely but successful career in opera. Evocatively written and featuring circus stars, fascists and faked deaths, Do I Bark Like a Dog? is a deeply moving testimony to Volpe's mother and her family, and an extraordinary journey into the heart of a life that has left an indelible mark on the world of opera.

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9781804470862

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Reviews

"'A jaw-dropping tale – poignant, powerful, passionate and political. Fasten your psychological seat belt for a wild ride.' -- Kathy Lette 'A fascinating account of identity and belonging. Volpe writes with passion, insight and humour about his Italian family and his life in London. I loved it.' -- James Hall, author of The Industry of Human Happiness 'Michael Volpe's second memoir paints an exuberant picture of his unconventional upbringing in a chaotic yet loving family where he survived, then thrived, thanks to the bonds of heritage. From the south of Italy to west London, this tapestry of emotional extremes and domestic drama echoes the Verismo style of Italian opera that Volpe himself so passionately advocates. As with Puccini or Mascagni, his tragicomic tales of life as an 'English' boy from Campanian stock are a spezzatino of laughter, shock, tears and irresistible pleasure.' -- Mark Valencia, opera critic ‘In gloriously exuberant language Volpe lays bare the essential him… This is a man who has opera in his blood and knows how to move us with a master-director’s artistry through a celebration of the value and delicacy of difference, which is often laugh-out-loud funny.’ -- Donald MacLeod, writer and broadcaster 'At once tender and unflinching… this memoir is a song of self-discovery, celebrating the transformative power in remembering who we are. Michael Volpe demonstrates masterful storytelling with global resonance and local colour. This book will stay long in the memory.' -- Nitin Sawhney, composer and producer, Booker Prize judge 'A fine book. A love story really to identity. A treat.' -- Daniel Finkelstein, journalist and author of Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad 'While Brexit continues tearing apart the nation, Michael has been watching and commenting on what’s been the needless tragedy of our times.' -- Clare Colvin, opera critic and author 'Fact blurs with well-worn family fictions and self-deceptions to create a heightened everyday, as prodigal and richly, grubbily human as the verismo operas Volpe has championed on stage.' -- Alexandra Coghlan * Spectator * 'When we say we “feel"" English or Italian, we describe an identification with a kind of quiddity, and what Volpe wants is to distil that shimmering quantity into something tangible – to hold the Italian moonbeam in his hands.’ -- John Phipps * TLS * 'Volpe's prose expresses a passion for self-definition… For Volpe, opera is a matter of life and death, with genuine tragedy lurking behind the scenes.' -- Benjamin Ivry * Opera Now *"

'A jaw-dropping tale – poignant, powerful, passionate and political. Fasten your psychological seat belt for a wild ride.' (Kathy Lette); 'A fascinating account of identity and belonging. Volpe writes with passion, insight and humour about his Italian family and his life in London. I loved it.' (James Hall, author of The Industry of Human Happiness); 'Michael Volpe’s second memoir paints an exuberant picture of his unconventional upbringing in a chaotic yet loving family where he survived, then thrived, thanks to the bonds of heritage. From the south of Italy to west London, this tapestry of emotional extremes and domestic drama echoes the Verismo style of Italian opera that Volpe himself so passionately advocates. As with Puccini or Mascagni, his tragicomic tales of life as an “English” boy from Campanian stock are a spezzatino of laughter, shock, tears and irresistible pleasure.' (Mark Valencia, opera critic)

Author Information

Michael Volpe obe is a writer and opera company leader best known for founding Opera Holland Park. Born to an Italian immigrant family in London, Michael attended Woolverstone Hall school, where he explored his love of music and drama – an experience he wrote about in his memoir Noisy at the Wrong Times. In 1996 he founded Opera Holland Park, and became a specialist in late Italian opera. He retired from Holland Park in 2020, and was awarded an OBE for services to opera; he now leads the pioneering company If Opera. He lives in London with his wife and three children.

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