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In The Shadows
Michael Spyres (baritenor), Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 1st March 2024
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Nominated - Male Singer of the Year
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Winner - Solo Vocal Recording of the Year
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Gramophone Awards, 2024 Shortlist, Finalist - Voice & Ensemble
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International Opera Awards, 2024, Winner - Recording (Solo Recital)
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Winners 2024
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International Classical Music Awards, 2025, Nominated - Vocal Music
this is another fine, fascinating album from an unusually interesting and intelligent artist, handsomely recorded.
In The Shadows
Michael Spyres (baritenor), Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Presto Recording of the Week, 1st March 2024
-
Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Nominated - Male Singer of the Year
-
Opus Klassik Awards, 2024, Winner - Solo Vocal Recording of the Year
-
Gramophone Awards, 2024 Shortlist, Finalist - Voice & Ensemble
-
International Opera Awards, 2024, Winner - Recording (Solo Recital)
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Winners 2024
-
International Classical Music Awards, 2025, Nominated - Vocal Music
this is another fine, fascinating album from an unusually interesting and intelligent artist, handsomely recorded.
About
Michael Spyres is a singer who challenges and reshapes perceptions – as his albums BariTenor and Contra-Tenor have shown. Now, preparing for his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Summer 2024, he searches In the Shadows to reveal more about Wagner and the origins of his music dramas. “Wagner evokes a varying spectrum of emotions – awe, ecstasy, even trepidation,” explains Spyres. “This album endeavours to illuminate the composers who languish in the shadows, who formed the foundation of Wagner’s compositions and sculpted the framework of vocal writing for the Wagnerian tenor.” In the Shadows culminates with three arias by Wagner – from Lohengrin and the lesser-known Die Feen and Rienzi. Preceding them are early-19th-century arias by composers of the French, German and Italian schools: Méhul, Beethoven, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Weber, Auber, Spontini, Bellini and Marschner. Spyres’s distinguished companions in his exploration are the players of Les Talens Lyriques and their conductor Christophe Rousset.
Contents and tracklist
- Michael Spyres (tenor)
- Les Talens Lyriques, Le Jeune Choeur de Paris
- Christophe Rousset
- Michael Spyres (tenor), Julien Henric (tenor)
- Les Talens Lyriques, Le Jeune Choeur de Paris
- Christophe Rousset
Spotlight on this release
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Michael Spyres on In The Shadows
25th Sep 2024
Ahead of next week's Gramophone Awards and International Opera Awards, the baritenor discusses his shortlisted album (released on Erato in March) exploring early Wagner and the composers who influenced his writing.
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In The Shadows with Michael Spyres
1st Mar 2024
The American singer teams up with Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset to explore some of the operas which influenced Wagner - including works by Méhul, Beethoven, Meyerbeer and Spontini.
Awards and reviews
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Presto Recording of the Week1st March 2024
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Opus Klassik Awards2024Nominated - Male Singer of the Year
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Opus Klassik Awards2024Winner - Solo Vocal Recording of the Year
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International Opera Awards2024Winner - Recording (Solo Recital)
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Presto Recordings of the YearWinners 2024
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International Classical Music Awards2025Nominated - Vocal Music
April 2024
this is another fine, fascinating album from an unusually interesting and intelligent artist, handsomely recorded.
1st March 2024
The real rarities abound with details that evidently seized Wagner’s imagination: a scene from Meyerbeer’s Il crociato features some solemn low brass writing that seems to point the way to Parsifal, whilst an aria from Spontini’s Agnes von Hohenstaufen seems to look back to Rossini and Meyerbeer as well as forward to Rienzi. The prayer from Rienzi itself brings some of the finest singing and playing on the album, with Spyres on radiant form and some magical colours from the brass in particular.
10th March 2024
A fascinating study of works that influenced Wagner...The singing and playing are predictably superb.
16th March 2024
In the Shadows travels through Italian bel canto and French grand opera as well as German repertoire...all ideal for Spyres’s gleaming, high-octane voice. His exciting singing, with punchy, crisp playing from Les Talens Lyriques, hits you between the ears.
