Michael Spyres on Berlioz's Les nuits d'été
Friday, December 2, 2022
The American tenor talks about going back to the original for one of music's first song cycles
Michael Spyres has won three Gramophone Awards: Opera and Recording of the Year in 2018 for Berlioz's Les troyens, and Voice and Ensemble in 2022 for 'Baritenor', an album that reveals his remarkable vocal range. Now, again for Erato and in the company of his Trojans conductor, John Nelson, he has recorded Les nuits d'été – but in the original keys and in Berlioz's envisaged registers.
James Jolly spoke to Michael Spyres about his approach to the Berlioz songs, and also about whether he considers himself a tenor or a baritone these days.
You can listen to the Podcast below. To hear other Gramophone podcasts, or to subscribe for free to new editions, search for 'Gramophone' in your Podcast App of choice, or visit Gramophone's page on Apple Music podcasts.
You can also listen to Michael Spyres singing Berlioz's Les nuits d'été in lossless audio via Apple Music, below: