A Tribute to Gilbert Duprez

Gilbert Duprez, a prominent Parisian tenor during the first half of the nineteenth century, is mostly unknown to today s opera fans. But his profound influence upon operatic vocal style and practice has persisted up to the present day. His fellow tenors sang their highest notes using a delicate and fluty-sounding falsetto technique. But Duprez pioneered the novel technique of singing upper-range notes up to high C in a much more heroic-sounding chest voice- a practice soon adopted by tenors worldwide. One of today s most thrilling tenors, John Osborn is in constant demand on the world s most prestigious opera stages. His gorgeous voice is particularly noted for its magnificent top end. Who better, then, to present an album devoted to Duprez s seminal influence on vocal technique for tenors? With the incomparable support of maestro Constantine Orbelian and his Kaunas City Symphony, Delos and Osborn proudly offer a beguiling album of selections from both well-known and more obscure French grand operas: bel canto arias that are sure to captivate listeners.