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Special offer. Contra-Tenor
Michael Spyres (tenor), Il Pomo d’Oro, Francesco Corti
Awards:
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Presto Editor's Choice, April 2023
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2023, Editor's Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2023 Finalists, Finalist - Voice & Ensemble
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
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International Classical Music Awards, 2024, Nominated - Vocal Music
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Gramophone Magazine, Critics' Choice 2023
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,...
Special offer. Contra-Tenor
Michael Spyres (tenor), Il Pomo d’Oro, Francesco Corti
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Presto Editor's Choice, April 2023
-
Gramophone Magazine, May 2023, Editor's Choice
-
Gramophone Awards, 2023 Finalists, Finalist - Voice & Ensemble
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2023
-
International Classical Music Awards, 2024, Nominated - Vocal Music
-
Gramophone Magazine, Critics' Choice 2023
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,...
About
• “A tenor who has the world at his feet.” – Opera 2017
• Michael Spyres’s new album is the perfect companion to his 2021 BariTenor release, which received rave reviews worldwide.
• Recorded with the fabulous Il Pomo d’Oro under Francesco Corti • Features works by Handel, Hasse, Mazzoni, Pergolesi, Porpora, Sarro, Scarlatti, Vinci, Vivaldi, and more – spanning even to Mozart
• These two albums show the progression of vocal writing for the natural male voice: in Contra-Tenor from 1707–1770, then BariTenor as the male vocal categorization begins to blur from 1790 through the mid-20th century
• Michael’s vision is to bridge the gap between “early music” and “classical music”, directing fans of both eras to each other’s territory through these unique and distinct album concepts
• He crafts these programs with great care and is intelligent, witty, and brilliant on the stage and in interviews!
• “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
Contents and tracklist
Spotlight on this release
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Raider of the Lost Archives - Michael Spyres on Contra-Tenor
27th Apr 2023
The American singer discusses becoming 'the Indiana Jones of the tenor voice' on his latest album for Erato, which charts the evolution of the Baroque tenore assoluto and features rarities by composers including Latilla, Mazzoni & Piccinni...
Awards and reviews
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Presto Editor's ChoiceApril 2023
-
Gramophone MagazineMay 2023Editor's Choice
-
Presto Recordings of the YearFinalist 2023
-
International Classical Music Awards2024Nominated - Vocal Music
-
Gramophone MagazineCritics' Choice 2023
July 2023
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.
Sep/Oct 2023
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.
May 2023
The speed with which his voice moves can be breathtaking...it’s an enthralling disc as one might expect, and the best of it is sensational indeed.
April 2023
Spyres's versatility and sheer virtuosity emerge every bit as strongly on this all-Baroque programme as they did on its audacious predecessor Baritenor - the American singer is such a vocal chameleon that you'd swear that at least three different singers were involved in the project, and his phenomenal range is once again exploited to the max (an aria from Mazzoni's Antigone stops the virtual show with a three-octave cadenza reaching top G!).
4th June 2023
This banquet of baroque staples and rarities again shows off Spyres’s extraordinary range and agility, to often literally breathtaking effect...From Lully, Gluck and Mozart to multiple tangents into less-visited nooks and crannies, Contra-Tenor is revelatory and remarkable.
