Joyce El-Khoury / Carlo Rizzi / The Hallé ÉCHO

Of Joyce El-Khoury’s performance as Violetta in her recent Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (ROH) debut, the Independent wrote: “Her pianissimi are exquisite, her coloratura is bold, fearless and flawless, and the expressiveness of her sound grips the heart”. She is embracing her gift for bel canto repertoire with the release of her debut solo album ‘Echo’ with maestro Carlo Rizzi and The Hallé Orchestra (Opera Rara) later this summer. 

It is impossible to know with any accuracy what Julie Dorus-Gras’s voice sounded like, though in her day she acquired a reputation for rare vocal greatness. 

What is clear from the historical facts available is that she had a prodigious work ethic and was constantly refining and shaping her vocal technique to meet the requirements of the roles she sang. This iron discipline allowed her to perform a wider variety of roles than normal and placed her among the front rank of artists of the time. When composers of considerable prominence were looking for appropriate talent to debut their works, she was often the first choice. 

I feel a strong kinship with Mme. Dorus-Gras. Like her, I consider myself a perennial student of this wonderful art form. Like her, I am always looking to grow, to expand my vocal palette in an effort to convey more truthfully the trials, tribulations and intricacies of the human condition. 

There is no way to know whether my voice is similar to hers in tonal quality. What I do know, is that the repertoire she sang, some of which is featured on this disc, resonates deeply with me. Moreover, the vocal demands feel a natural fit for my voice and I simply love singing this music. 

This recital recording is both a tribute and a gesture of gratitude to this wonderful artist, who pioneered so much repertoire that still has so much to say to modern-day audiences. I decided to call this disc Écho after noticing that this word is present in a few of the pieces, whether in French or Italian (as ‘eco’). is is especially spine-tingling for me: Mme. Julie Dorus-Gras’s work is still echoing today in the 21st century and inspiring artists such as myself. 

I very much hope you enjoy listening to this marvellous music. (Joyce El-Khoury)

Marianne Crebassa / Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg / Marc Minkowski OH, BOY!

Marianne Crebassa has signed an exclusive recording contract with Erato. Hailed “splendidly charismatic” by The New York Times, the young French mezzo-soprano is “an absolute revelation” (Forum Opéra), praised for her “luscious voice” (Financial Times).

Within a broad repertory encompassing Handel, Gluck, Berlioz, Debussy and Offenbach, Crebassa has nonetheless made a name for herself above all in Mozart.  An alumnus of the Montpellier Conservatoire, she sang opposite Rolando Villazón in the acclaimed 2013 Lucio Silla at the Festwoche Salzburg, conducted by Marc Minkowski and reprised at the Salzburg Festival the same year. She made her La Scala debut in the same production in 2015; later that year, she portrayed Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at the Staatsoper Berlin, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

Crebassa’s first collaboration with maestro Minkowski was in a Salzburg performance of Handel’s Tamerlano in 2012, in which she sang alongside Plácido Domingo. The mezzo-soprano and conductor have continued to explore lesser-known Mozart repertoire together, most recently in a pioneering production based on his oratorio Davide penitente for the 2015 Salzburg Mozart Week, featuring equestrian choreography restoring the stage of the Salzburg Felsenreitschule (Horseriding School) to its original function.

Marc Minkowski and the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, then, were the ideal partners for Crebassa’s debut aria recital recording. For this project, the mezzo-soprano takes as a starting point the Mozart ‘trouser roles’ that have already won her acclaim on stage – Lucio Silla’s Cecilio (originally written for a soprano castrato) and Ramiro from La finta giardiniera and Cherubino. The theme continues with male characters from French grand operas by Chabrier, Gounod, Massenet and Offenbach.

Alain Lanceron, President of Warner Classics and Erato, said: “Since her first appearances in concert and on stage, Marianne Crebassa has captivated the international music scene, thanks to the exceptional quality of her vocal timbre and her innate musicality. We are delighted to welcome this jewel into the Erato family and look forward to a stellar future with her.”

Crebassa added: “I couldn't have hoped for greater luck than to bring my first recording to fruition with Erato. This album is close to my heart – it feels like a natural continuation of the personal and artistic connections I've made since my debut at the Salzburg Festival. This great musical city and the Mozarteum have supported me unfailingly from the beginning, as well as Marc Minkowski, with whom I have shared the stage many times. Let the adventure begin!” (IMG Artists)