As Grammy voting opens up, please take a look back at the tremendous response to Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres's acclaimed Rossini duets album Amici e Rivali. Praised by The New Yorker as a "reminder of the sparks that fly when two first-rate voices meet in the playground of a Rossini opera", the album topped charts around the world and showcased the thrilling excitement and beauty of two world-class voices in their prime.
Amici e Rivali – ‘Friends and Rivals’ – comprises arias, duets, and trios from seven of the composer’s operas, including the ever-popular Il barbiere di Siviglia and the rarely heard Ricciardo e Zoraide.
"Brownlee’s tenor ... light and flexible with glistening brilliance in his upper register."
-Gramophone
"Their portrayals are delightful because of the terrific teamwork and irresistible, marvelously detailed responses to the text ... Brownlee is awesome in his dazzling technical ease and sheer grace. Here and everywhere else in this program, he's able to integrate his topmost notes (encompassing spot on high D's) into the phrase with gratifying musicality."
-Opera News
"If one could be said to dominate the CD, it’s Brownlee as he, amidst a fabulous program of duets and trios, also impresses with two prime solos ..."
-Parterre
"The pair dispatches the punishing tessitura, intricate filigree, and endless scales of these duets with undaunted charm, and Corrado Rovaris conducts I Virtuosi Italiani with style."
-The New Yorker
Best Classical Vocal Solo
Best Engineered – Classical Album
