Opera star Diana Damrau takes a stand against animal cruelty on the cover of her new album

'Grand Opera' features the star soprano looking as glamorous and extravagant as the music - in fake fur with stunning images of Jürgen Frank

German soprano Diana Damrau’s new album, Meyerbeer - Grand Opera, presents the genre at its most grandiose and opulent. It features 11 dazzling arias and duets by Giacomo Meyerbeer, a composer synonymous with the splendor of Parisian grand opéra and a major influence on the two titans of Romantic opera, Verdi and Wagner. Listen here.

Ever heard of Giacomo Meyerbeer? A once "powerful hitmaker' composer without whome Wagner and Verdi would have been unthinkable, that disappeared from the opera houses around the world on the verge of a musical renaissance. The New York Times takes the occasion to educate in this article.

In Jürgen Frank’s stunning photographs for the cover of Grand Opera, Damrau chose to champion New York fashion house Pelush, pioneering makers of luxury faux fur. According to Pelush founder, Milan-born designer Anna Tagliabue, these fashion creations are “ecologically sensitive and cruelty-free … a wonderful alternative for the modern woman”. You can see a video of the photo shoot and the recording here.

“Pelush’s stunning faux fur made me feel like Cinderella at the ball,” said Diana Damrau.

The images that Jürgen Frank shot are now decorating magazine covers and billboards.