Opera Rara. Michael Spyres & Joyce El-Khoury

This summer, Opera Rara will release two discs of bel canto arias recorded with Michael Spyres and Joyce El-Khoury. Brought to life by the same singers in a one-off concert performance on Bastille Day – Friday 14 July -at London’s Cadogan Hall, the two discs feature a selection of mainly French arias made famous by two leading figures of the bel canto heyday: Gilbert Duprez and Julie Dorus-Gras.

Marking the company’s return to producing artist collections, the two discs were recorded in February with the Hallé and Carlo Rizzi – both of whom will also perform on 14 July – and were curated by Opera Rara’s Repertoire Consultant Roger Parker. With the aim of introducing listeners to forgotten music written by well-known composers including Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi and Berlioz, as well as lesser-known names such as Auber, Halévy and Hérold, over half of the arias recorded were given their world premières by Duprez and Dorus-Gras. While released as solo discs, both Michael and Joyce will also duet on each other’s recordings.

In addition to their studio recordings of complete operas, Opera Rara’s extensive catalogue currently includes 13 artist collections, featuring singers including Bruce Ford, Della Jones, Yvonne Kenny, Jennifer Larmore and Nelly Miricioiu, whose careers were nurtured by the company. Michael Spyres and Joyce El-Khoury are heirs to this tradition. Both are featured on Opera Rara’s recent recordings of forgotten works by Donizetti, the composer who has been at the centre of the company’s repertoire: Belisario (marking Joyce’s recording debut), Les Martyrs (winner of the CD (Complete Opera) category in 2016 International Opera Awards, and in which Michael and Joyce sang the roles of Polyeucte and Pauline, also created by Duprez and Dorus-Gras in 1840) and Le Duc d’Albe (nominated for a 2017 BBC Music Magazine Award).

The brain-child of Patric Schmid and Don White, Opera Rara has been in the business of bringing back forgotten operatic repertoire since its conception in the early 1970’s, with the operas of the Italian bel canto repertory being a particular focus. Following the release of Bellini’s first opera Adelson e Salvini in March, Opera Rara will release Rossini’s Semiramide in September, featuring their Artistic Director Sir Mark Elder conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with Russian soprano Albina Shagmimuratova in the title role.