The Lahti Symphony Orchestra, featured on this recording, has won multiple awards for its recordings, including two Gramophone Awards and the Grand Prix du Disque.
Performer Biography
Yinjia Gong, the tenor on this album, was inspired by his maternal grandfather, who was active at the opera in Beijing, to pursue music.
Historical Context
The word 'tenor' comes from the Latin 'tenere' (to hold) and originally referred to the voice that 'held' the melody in Medieval and Renaissance polyphonic music.
Cultural Impact
Tenors are the only musicians whose popularity extends far beyond specialist circles, allowing them to fill big arenas and stadiums like rock stars.
Composition History
The birth of the tenor myth, as known today, can be precisely dated to April 17, 1837, when French tenor Gilbert Duprez first sang a top C in the chest register during a performance of Rossini's William Tell.
Critical Reception
Composer Gioachino Rossini disliked the powerful new tenor sound, comparing it to 'the cry of a capon having its throat cut,' but the public loved it.
Performer Biography
Yinjia Gong's admiration for Swedish tenors Jussi Björling and Nicolai Gedda led him to study in Sweden, where he later performed Björling's 'Nessun dorma' at a centennial gala.
