Michael Spyres - Contra-tenor

Michael Spyres, il pomo d'oro, Francesco Corti

Singing album for all vocal ranges with baritone tenor Michael Spyres "Contra-Tenor": On his new album, Michael Spyres traces the developments that the male operatic voice has undergone over the course of the 18th century. With all its highs and lows - because thanks to his extreme vocal range, there are hardly any limits for the American singer on this exploratory flight through the arias of great composers such as Handel, Rameau and Mozart. At his side as congenial musical partners: the original sound ensemble Il Pomo d'Oro under the direction of the celebrated harpsichordist and conductor Francesco Corti. On the occasion of his previous album "BariTenor" (2021), Michael Spyres was admired for his ability to "traverse half a dozen vocal ranges" (Opera!). Indeed, Spyres, who refuses to be pigeonholed in any other way, possesses both the luminous high notes of a tenor and the noble depth and sonority of a baritone. On "Contra-Tenor" he proves these impressive abilities once again and demonstrates the enormous demands that composers of the past placed on singers and the range of their voices. Few other than Michael Spyres are able to meet these demands today. He deliberately bridges the gap between "early music" and "classical music" and, with his selection of arias, some more and some less well-known, presents both fans of the one and the other with a delightful musical gift.

Price: $27.98