Catalogue

Summary:

Winner: Classical Solo Vocal Album – Grammy Awards (2018) 

““…his lucid, velvety tenor and pop-star charisma best suited to melodious arias… He casts beguilingly mellifluous lines…, and captures the wistful melancholy with mellow tones… Sulayman’s Italian diction is impeccable… pure beauty of sound.“ – BBC Music magazine ★★★★

“Sulayman makes a pleasant, personable hero, letting the text lead the way here, just as it should, and balancing a light, agile top to his voice with a baritonal warmth at the bottom.” – Gramophone

I Love You To Hell And Back. Lebanese-American tenor Karim Sulayman’s neat encapsulation of the Orpheus myth infuses his solo recording debut, Songs of Orpheus. Orpheus, the greatest singer of all time, famously followed his deceased beloved Eurydice to the gates of Hades in an attempt to bring her back to life. He was thwarted by the gods who forbade him to gaze at her during their journey back to earth. He could not resist, and the tale has been told in numerous musical interpretations including those of Monteverdi and his 17th-century compatriots who are represented on this imaginative album, performed with leading baroque interpreters Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire.

Tracklist:

I. I LOVE YOU …

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567–1643)
1. Si dolce è ‘l tormento [3:35]
from Quarto scherzo delle ariose vaghezze, 1624 arr. J. Sorrell
2. Vi ricorda o bosch’ ombrosi [2:32]
from L’Orfeo, 1607
3. Rosa del ciel [2:31]
from L’Orfeo

GIULIO CACCINI (1551–1618)
4. Dolcissimo sospiro [2:55]
from Le nuove musiche, 1602

II. … TO HELL …

DARIO CASTELLO (1590–1658)
5. Sonata No. 2 in D Minor [5:28]
from Sonate concertate in stil moderno, Libro II, 1629 – Julie Andrijeski, violin

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
6. Tu se’ morta from L’Orfeo [4:04]
Sinfonia

GIULIO CACCINI
7. Funeste piaggie [4:39]
from L’Euridice, 1602, arr. J. Sorrell

GIOVANNI PAULO CIMA (1570–1622)
8. Sonata no. 1 in G Minor [4:56]
for Violin & Continuo – Johanna Novom, violin

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
9. Qual honor di te sia degno from L’Orfeo [5:00]
Sinfonia

III. … AND BACK

DARIO CASTELLO
10. Sonata concertata XV, a Quattro voci [5:04]

SIGISMONDO D’INDIA (1582–1629)
11. Piangono al pianger mio [4:47]
from Le musiche da cantar solo, Milan 1609

STEFANO LANDI (1587–1639)
12. Canta la cicaletta [4:37]
from Quinto libro di arie da cantarsi ad una voce, 1637 arr. J. Sorrell
13. T’amai gran tempo [6:22]
from Secondo libro di arie da cantarsi ad una voce, 1627 arr. R. Schiffer

ANTONIO BRUNELLI (1577–1630)
14. Non havea Febo ancora [2:43]
from Arie, scherzi, canzonette e madrigali a cantare e suonare, 1613

TARQUINO MERULA (1595–1665)
15. Folle è ben che si crede [3:58]
from Curtio precipitato et altri capricii,1638 arr. by J. Sorrell & R. Schiffer

Karim Sulayman, tenor
Apollo’s Fire
Jeannette Sorrell, director

Total Time: 63:21

Recorded August 20-23, 2017, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Recording producer and editor: Erica Brenner | Recording engineer: Ian Dobie
Mixing engineers: Daniel Shores and Ian Dobie | Mastering engineer: Daniel Shores