Héroïque - French Opera Arias Bryan Hymel

• Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1868):
• 1 Guillaume Tell, Act 4: Ne m'abandonne point... Asile héréditaire... Amis, amis secondez ma vengeance 12:49
• Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869):
• 2 La damnation de Faust, Op. 24, Pt. 4: Nature immense 05:48
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901):
• 3 Jérusalem, Act 2: L'Emir auprès de lui ma'ppelle... Je veux encore entendre ta Voix 05:33
• 4 Les vêpres siciliennes, Act 4: 'O jour de peine et de souffrance' 09:58
• Hector Berlioz:
• 5 Les Troyens, Act 5: 'Inutiles regrets' 06:13
• Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893):
• 6 La reine de Saba, Act 2: Faiblesse de la race humaine, Inspirez-moi, race 05:34
• Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864):
• 7 L'Africaine, Act 4: Pays merveilleux... O Paradis... Conduisez-moi vers ce navire 07:08
• Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912):
• 8 Hérodiade, Act 4: 'Ne pouvant réprimer les élans de la foi' 05:48
• Ernest Reyer (1823 - 1909):
• 9 Sigurd, Act 2: 'Le bruit des chants s' étend...' 05:24
• Alfred Bruneau (1857 - 1934):
• 10 L'attaque du moulin, Act 2: 'Le jour tombe, Adieu, forêt profonde' 04:36
• Henri Rabaud (1873 - 1949):
• 11 Rolande et le mauvais garcon, Act 4: Chante vieux jardin ta chanson de cigale 04:10
• Total Runtime 01:13:01

Info for Héroïque - French Opera Arias

This recital, Héroïque, is tenor Bryan Hymel’s first studio recording for Warner Classics. Its imaginatively conceived programme showcases him in repertoire that he has made his own on stages such as the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden and the Bavarian State Opera: opera in French that demands a thrilling heroism in both voice and style – and a top register of outstanding brilliance, since the album offers a grand total of 19 top C’s. On the world's great stages, Hymel has gone from Don José in Carmen to Enée in Berlioz’s Les Troyens, the title role in Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable, Henri in Verdi’s Les Vêpres siciliennes and Arnold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell.

The Times: “A Héroïque performance from a tenor on the up... The voice is strong, tightly-focused, darkly coloured and unusually even across all registers... Hymel undoubtedly casts a powerful spell.”

“The voice is strong, tightly-focused, darkly coloured and unusually even across all registers. He easily manages those “Howzat!” moments up on high that bring many tenor arias to a close. Yet he’s equally expressive shading his voice in his middle pitch, almost cradling the listener with intimacy.” (The Times, UK)

Bryan Hymel, tenor
PKF – Prague Philharmonia
Emmanuel Villaume, conductor

Bryan Hymel
One of the opera world’s fastest-rising stars, Bryan Hymel continues to perform leading repertoire in the music capitals of the world. Hailed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for his “range of expression and vocal power combined with the subtle art of characterization,” Hymel is the winner of the 2013 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his trio of performances in Les Troyens, Robert le diable, and Rusalka at London’s Royal Opera House. The New York Times praised his “unflagging stamina and impetuous abandon” during his 2012 Metropolitan Opera debut as Énée in Les Troyens, for which he was presented with the Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award. In 2014 Hymel became an exclusive recording artist for Warner Classics, with his first solo album set to debut in 2015.

Hymel’s 2014-2015 season brings a number of house and role debuts across the United States. His season begins at the Metropolitan Opera where he sings the role of Rodolfo in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production of La Bohème. Hymel makes his house and role debut as Percy in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s staging of Anna Bolena in December, followed by a reprisal of the role of Rodolfo in Dallas Opera’s production of La Bohème in March. Hymel’s exciting summer season includes his house debut with San Francisco Opera where he performs his renowned rendition of Énée in Les Troyens, followed by his highly anticipated return to the Santa Fe Opera for performances of the Duke in Rigoletto. On the concert stage, Hymel appears in a special New Year’s concert at the Royal Opera House, Oman under the baton of Mo. Emmanuel Villaume, followed by the US premiere of legendary rock star Roger Waters’ opera Ça Ira with the Nashville Symphony. Hymel returns to Toulouse in February to perform Berlioz’s Requiem with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Bryan Hymel’s recent seasons have brought debuts and return engagements at the world’s most accomplished opera houses and festivals. A favorite of audiences at London’s Royal Opera House, Hymel made his Covent Garden debut in 2010 as Don José in Carmen and has since returned for performances in Rusalka, Les Troyens, Robert le diable, and Les Vêpres siciliennes. Hymel made his debut at Teatro alla Scala as Don José in 2010, later reprising the role with the Canadian Opera Company and in his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper. His Metropolitan Opera debut came in 2012 with Les Troyens, and he returned to the Met in 2014 for Madama Butterfly. Additional appearances include debuts with the Vienna Staatsoper, English National Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company in Madama Butterfly; De Nederlandse Opera in Les Troyens; Oper Frankfurt in Edgar; Teatro Municipale di Salerno in Robert le Diable; Oper Desden in Der Rosenkavalier; Houston Grand Opera in La Traviata; the Santa Fe Opera as the title role in Faust; and his role debut as Arnold in a new production of Rossini’s Guillaume Tell at the Bayerishe Staatsoper.

On the concert stage, Hymel has been seen in Verdi’s Requiem with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and at the Edinburgh Festival under Donald Runnicles; Walter Braunfels’ Jeanne d’Arc with the Salzburg Festival; a solo concert with the Jerusalem Symphony conducted by Music Director Frédéric Chaslin; a European Tour of La Damnation de Faust with the Orchestre National du Capitole, Toulouse; Roger Waters’ Ça Ira at the Gothenburg Culture Festival; and in Berlioz’s Requiem with The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

A frequent collaborator with other notable vocalists, Hymel has been seen in concert with Susan Graham at the Santa Fe Opera and with Elina Garanca as part of a three-city Austrian tour entitled “Music Under the Stars.” Hymel made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2008 with the Opera Orchestra of New York in a gala concert featuring Renée Fleming, Marcello Giordani, and Dolora Zajick, as well as his London recital debut on the Rosenblatt Recital Series.

Among his many accolades, the New Orleans native is the Top Prize Winner of the 2009 Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition and was the First Prize Winner of the 2008 Licia Albanese/Puccini Foundation Competition, the 2008 Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition, and the 2008 Giulio Gari Foundation Competition. He was a grand finalist in the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Hymel studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia under Bill Schuman and was a participant in San Francisco Opera Center’s Merola Program.

This album contains no booklet.