Donizetti Songs Volumes 3 and 4 Reviewed

Opera Rara’s recording project, spanning a total of eight albums, is truly extraordinary – the words from one of our first reviews of our latest installment of our Donizetti Song Project recording cycle: Volumes 3 and 4 released in February with our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi on the piano and our Artist Ambassador tenor Michael Spyres, and mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux and pianist Giulio Zappa.

Sample a selection of the reviews below and head over to this page here to find out how you can purchase the two albums: https://opera-rara.com/product-category/default-category/donizetti-songs-project

Michael Spyres’ stylish and gorgeous singing is irresistible… With Carlo Rizzi’s canny collaboration, this album is a splendid success… In Volume 4, Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s outstanding singing is deftly accompanied by Giulio Zappa… This project makes a convincing case for Donizetti as a key figure in 19^th-century song repertoire and for the importance of the ‘Italian’ school in a field long dominated by German and French composers. American Record Guide

Opera Rara has done as much for Gaetano Donizetti as an opera composer as the festival dedicated to him in his hometown of Bergamo. And now, another nuance has been added with this Donizetti Song Project… Michael Spyres is accompanied on Volume 3 with skill, colour and fine nuance by Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi on the piano. With his dark tenor timbre, Spyres also proves himself once again to be a consummate bel canto specialist in service of the noble Donizetti mission, just like the versatile mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux on Volume 4… The grand mosaic of Donizetti thus sparkles with a few more beautiful little gems. Fono Forum     

Michael Spyres is a delight to listen to, with his perfect diction, sensitivity to the texts, precise intonation, refined French elegance, and, of course, beautiful ornamentation… Carlo Rizzi provides sensitive accompaniment, always clear in support of the melodic line. The recording, made in a church in the suburbs of London, gives both performers an ideally balanced sound. Finally, the accompanying booklet texts are noteworthy for their wealth of information. ON-mag

The complete collection of Donizetti’s chamber songs which began excellently with Volumes 1 and 2 entrusted to Lawrence Brownlee and Nicola Alaimo, continues just as thrillingly with the contributions of Michael Spyres and Marie-Nicole Lemieux… Both singers are excellently accompanied by Carlo Rizzi and Giulio Zappa… Musica, Disco Premiato  

These are by no means just melodically pleasing, tenderly seductive, or strikingly triumphant pieces in which the piano merely plays an accompanying role. They come from the composer’s French years, and Spyres sings them with superb technique, flawless diction, and eloquent pronunciation. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

For this third volume, Michael Spyres, well known for his fondness for the French language – which he delivers with mastery and eloquence – joins the venture… The result is nothing short of remarkable… He performs these songs with remarkable ease, shaping the emotions with finesse and subtlety… Expressiveness, emotion and warm charm intertwine to create moments of vocal bliss. Carlo Rizzi, a pianist of great elegance, proves to be an ideal partner, attentive to every nuance. An absolute delight, not to be missed under any circumstances. Crescendo        

Indeed, the combination of Opera Rara Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and American “baritenor” Michael Spyres is a match made in heaven… What makes this album unique, however, are the more unusual items… Singers should be queuing up to welcome these miniature masterpieces into their portfolios. Recorded in natural sound, the voice pulled forward just a touch, this is a peach of a recital, whetting the appetite for the rest of this important and highly enjoyable series. Limelight, Recording of the Month

Knowing his affinity for the French style, Michael Spyres and his velvet timbre were eagerly anticipated – and indeed, it is most enchanting. The flexibility of his voice works wonders… his mastery of breath control shines in the high notes… but perhaps it is his skill in vocal colouration which is most captivating… it is also a pleasure to rediscover Carlo Rizzi at the piano as Spyres’s evocative accompanist. Diapason, Diapason d’or 

Spyres gives us a youthful, brilliant voice with radiant high notes. The baritonal quality of his voice adds darker nuances to his phrasing, making his voice sound virile and well-grounded. It is a unique pleasure to listen and relisten to this CD… Carlo Rizzi on piano is always a guarantee, respecting and supporting the voice in perfect harmony. Il Trillo Parlante

A couple of months ago, I enjoyed the first two volumes in a projected series of eight. Volume Three, released alongside an equally enjoyable Volume Four with the feisty spirited Marie-Nicole Lemieux, is if anything even better. Indeed, the combination of Opera Rara Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and American “baritenor” Michael Spyres is a match made in heaven… Opera Rara’s CD presentation, booklets containing essays, full texts and translations plus notes on the individual songs, are luxurious and complete two perfect musical packages. Midlands Classical Music Review

Since its inception, Opera Rara seems to follow the principle: ‘If you do something, do it well.’ This applies not only to performances and presentation but also with regards repertoire… As on the first CDs, Spyres is accompanied by great finesse by conductor Carlo Rizzi… on Volume Four, Rizzi is replaced by Giulio Zappa… and the result remains excellent. Opus Klassiek

If the listener is in the mood for a flow of beautiful, exquisitely produced tone, with the words and dramatic situations secondary, then the Michael Spyres – normally billed as a ‘baritenor’ but here as ‘tenor – absolutely never disappoints. If on the other hand the need is for more drama, more involvement, more variety and uncertainty then go with Marie-Nicole Lemieux. With her, even a simple strophic song with gondolas like Sull’onda cheta e bruna becomes both a dramatic scena and a showpiece. The pianists for both singers are exceptional and production quality is superb. We occasionally get a pleasant surprise from a guest – like organist Edward Batting on the harmonium – and the amount of work that has gone into filling the booklets with good writing and scholarly resource is unbelievable. The Arts Desk

Opera Rara’s recording project, spanning a total of eight albums, is truly extraordinary… Another fascinating aspect is how Michael Spyres, now established as a Wagnerian singer handles this primarily lyrical repertoire. The result is astonishing: Spyres, with his highly agile and uniquely wide-ranging tenor voice, unveils an inexhaustible array of elegant phrasing, breathtaking messa di voce, and seamless legato lines. Combined with his natural temperament, he once again demonstrates his exceptional sensitivity to vocal colour, subtle poetic interpretation, dynamic nuance, and a seamlessly robust vocal approach—qualities that have made him so renowned. Online Merker

A titanic endeavour to bring together some 200 songs by Gaetano Donizetti – mostly unknown – whose scores, sometimes unpublished, had been scattered across numerous European libraries and beyond. It’s a collection that certainly draws from the composer’s operatic writing but also contains beautiful stylistic discoveries across a wider emotional spectrum… Volume 3 gives Michael Spyres the chance to shine in the romantic bel canto repertoire where his talent currently seems boundless. Le Monde

Written for various reasons—commissions, tributes, or artistic collaborations – these melodies cover a wide range of emotions, all marked by theatricality, elegance, and an effortless musicality that makes them instantly captivating… This third volume also offers a rare opportunity to hear Michael Spyres in the romantic repertoire, where he remains unrivalled. The American tenor once again demonstrates his deep understanding of the bel canto style and his mastery of the French language, delivering each prosodic nuance with clarity that makes every word intelligible. Forum Opéra

This romantic repertoire suits Marie-Nicole Lemieux [in Volume 4] perfectly. She skilfully balances the intimate moments with the theatrical passages, thanks in part to the assertive pianist. Compared to the masterpieces of Schubert and Schumann, the songs of the maestro from Bergamo are often more sensual, charming, and exuberant, though at times more stereotypically tailored for the salon. However, they always allow the voice to shine beautifully, while the piano part remains equally rewarding… The beautifully illustrated 64-page booklet also leaves nothing to be desired. I am already looking forward to the second half of this enchanting song collection. Der Gelderlander

These two new releases from Opera Rara continue to uncover Donizettian wonders in the hands of two talented performers… Spyres displays a lyrical timbre full of nuance and comfort in the high and middle registers… [In O ma harpe, mon seul heritage] he transports us to that salon atmosphere, demonstrating his liederistic qualities accompanied by Rizzi who is an indispensable co-performer… Lemieux and Zappa form a well-connected duo whose fluidity together from the exposition of their Volume leaves the listener wanting more music by the end. Opéra Actual