Michael Spyres - Baritenor (CD)

Details: An album with a mission to defy classification, BariTenor is a tour de force for Michael Spyres. It ranges wide, encompassing repertoire normally assigned to both tenors and baritones. Programming 18 arias by 15 composers, it covers three centuries of opera in Italian, French and German, setting mainstream works beside relative rarities, and rediscovering Étienne Méhul's Ariodant, first heard in 1799. Michael Spyres has achieved renown as a multi-faceted tenor, but 'baritenor' is the term he uses to describe his voice, which balances brilliant high notes with a robust lower register. "Having started off as a baritone, I spent 10 years turning myself into a tenor. Voices like mine have existed as long as opera has existed, and the entire programme of this album is linked by the baritenor technique. I am making an honest attempt to explore the baritenor as a forgotten vocal phenomenon... For me, this album is more than a dream come true." Joining Spyres are the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg under it's Chief Conductor Marko Letonja, and the male singers of the chorus of the Opéra du Rhin.

Tracklist:

1. Mozart: Idomeneo K. 366 Act II: "Fuor del mar" (Idomeneo)
2. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro K. 492 Act III: "Hai gia vinto la causa?" (Il Conte d'Almaviva)
3. Mozart: Don Giovanni K. 527 Act II: "Deh vieni al la finestra" (Don Giovanni)
4. Méhul: Ariodant Act III: "Oh Dieux! Ecoutez ma prière" (Edgard)
5. Spontini: La Vestale Act III: "Qu’ai-je vu! Quels apprêts" (Licinius)
6. Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia Act I: "Largo al factotum" (Figaro)
7. Rossini: Otello Act I: "Ah si per voi già sento" - "Premio maggior di questo" - "Amor dirada il nembo" (Otello Iago Chorus)
8. Adam: Le Postillon de Lonjumeau Act I: "Mes amis écoutez l'histoire" (Chapelou Chorus)
9. Donizetti: La fille du régiment Act I: "Ah! Mes amis quel jour de fête!" - "Pour mon me" (Tonio Chorus)
10. Verdi: Il trovatore Act II: "Tutto è deserto" - "Il balen del suo sorriso" (Il Conte di Luna)
11. Thomas Ambroise: Hamlet Act II: "C'est en croyant revoir" - "Oh vin! Dissipe la tristesse" (Hamlet Marcellus Horatio Chorus)
12. Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann Act I: "Va! pour Kleinzach" (Hoffmann Nathanaël Chorus)
13. Wagner: Lohengrin Act III: "Aux bords lointains" (Lohengrin)
14. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci Prologue: "Si può? Signore! Signori!" (Tonio)
15. Lehár: Die lustige Witwe Act I: "O Vaterland du machst bei Tag" - "Da geh ich zu Maxim" (Danilo)
16. Ravel: L'heure espagnole M. 52: "Voilà ce que j'appelle une femme charmante" (Ramiro)
17. Orff: Carmina Burana Pt. 4 “Cour d'amours”: Dies nox et omnia
18. Korngold: Die tote Stadt Op. 12 Act I: Lied. "Glück das mir verblied" (Marietta)