Michael Spyres - Contra-Tenor

 
Michael Spyres - Contra-Tenor cover
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LULLY / HANDEL / VIVALDI / VINCI / PORPORA / SARRO / HASSE / etc
Michael Spyres - Contra-Tenor
Michael Spyres (tenor) / Il Pomo d'Oro, Francesco Corti

[ Warner / Erato / CD ]

Release Date: Friday 21 April 2023

This item is only available to us via Special Import.

With Contra-Tenor, Michael Spyres challenges perceptions of the tenor in the Baroque era, often seen as the age of the castrato. In the company of Il Pomo d'Oro and conductor Francesco Corti, he explores the period from the late 17th century to the 1770s, tracing the course of opera in both the French and Italian styles. The 15 arias range from Lully to early Mozart by way of Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Gluck and composers such as Hasse, Galuppi and Latilla (represented by world premiere recordings), and Mazzoni and Sarro (represented by first studio recordings). Spyres' exceptional credentials for this virtuoso repertoire have been summed up by Gramophone magazine: a "superb artist whose voice [is] perfectly equalised over more than two-and-a-half octaves," notable for "exceptional artistry, formidable technique and seemingly limitless understanding of style."

"In truth, this album's concept was born out of my research to find the absolute extremes of the human voice whether it be yodeling, Tuvan throat singing, overtone singing, or the many categories of the classical voice. There has never been an album dedicated to this era of vocal history which is by all accounts uncategorizable by the fach system not to mention virtually unsingable to most singers in the present day" - Michael Spyres

"Michael Spyres's now famous range coupled with his superb sense of drama and glorious technique singles him out - once again - as one of the finest opera singers before us today. " Gramophone Award Finalist 2023 - Voice & Ensemble

"what proves irresistible in these 14 arias by as many composers is Spyres's spectacular singing…the challenge that Spyres meets with unshakable panache and technique is identical to the challenges that tenors faced in the 18th century. Nothing but the highest recommendation is deserved." Fanfare

"His technical strengths emerge clearly in the way in which he negotiates the switchback turns of Vivaldi's 'Cada pur sul capo' (from Artabano), the cascading melodies of Porpora's 'Nocchier, che mai non vide' (from Germania) and the cadenza from Piccinni's 'En butte aux fureurs' (from Roland ) where he reaches a spectacular F above top C." BBC Music

Tracks:

Lully: Persée, LWV 60, Act 5 - "Cessons de redouter la fortune cruelle" (Persée) & Passacaille

Handel: Tamerlano, HWV 18, Act 3: "E il soffrirete, d'onestade, oh Numi?" - "Empio, per farti guerra" (Bajazet)

Vivaldi: Artabano, re de' parti, RV 701, Act 3: "Cada pur sul capo audace" (Artabano)

Porpora: Germanico in Germania, Act 1: "Nocchier, che mai non vide l'orror della tempesta" (Segeste)

Domenico Sarro: Achille in Sciro, Act 1: "Fra l'ombre un lampo solo" (Ulisse)

Galuppi: Alessandro nell'Indie, Act 1: "Vil trofeo dun alma imbelle" (Alessandro)

Latilla: Siroe, re di Persia, Act 1: "Se il mio paterno amore" (Cosroe)

Hasse, J A: Arminio, Act 1: "Solcar pensa un mar sicuro" (Segeste)

Rameau: Naïs, Act 3: "Cessez de ravager la terre" (Neptune)

Antonio Maria Mazzoni: Antigono, Act 1: "Tu m'involasti un regno" (Antigono)

Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice Wq. 41, Act 4: "J'ai perdu mon Euridyce" (Orphée)

Mozart: Mitridate, rè di Ponto, K. 87, Act 1: "Se di lauri" (Mitridate)

Piccinni: Roland, Act 1: "En butte aux fureurs de l'orage" (Médor)

Vinci, Leonardo: Catone in Utica, Act 1: "Si sgomenti alle sue pene" (Catone)

Michael Spyres sings Latilla: Siroe, re di Persia, Act 1: "Se il mio paterno amore"