Renowned male soprano sings with Apollo's Fire

Soul singer Marvin Gaye did it; R&B superstar Michael Jackson did it; disco Bee Gees heartthrob Barry Gibb did it; pop phenomenon Prince did it; rocker Robert Plant did it. They have all flung their voices into canary heaven at moments of musical passion. 

The seemingly unnatural sound of men singing up in soprano territory is nothing new, as those attending the upcoming Apollo’s Fire concert, “Love and Rage,” will hear. Cleveland’s baroque orchestra will present a program of arias by Vivaldi and Handel, who pulled out all the stops when writing for male soprano singers—those “rock stars” of the 18th century. Groupies of the era went so far as to wear medallions bearing the portraits of their favorites, similar to the pins and tee shirts worn by fans of rock stars today.

At the beginning of the 17th century, young men who had undergone surgery to preserve their prepubescent voices sang exclusively in religious choirs, where the presence of women was forbidden, but they soon started singing in musical dramas. Their brilliance, and their unusual degree of expression, flexibility and purity resulted in a musical form known as "Opera Seria," created especially for these castrati in the 18th century to show off their vocal acrobatics. 

Apollo’s Fire welcomes special guest Michael Maniaci to star in these performances. Luckily for him and for listeners around the world, Maniaci’s larynx never developed during puberty, making him that rarest among the rare—a man whose vocal range is from C to shining C, in the treble clef! Called “one of the greatest singers of his generation” by the Toronto Globe & Mail, Maniaci will delight the curious, adventurous and fortunate Northeast Ohio audiences. Well-known baroque instrumental soloists violinist Olivier Brault and cellist René Schiffer will round out the Apollo’s Fire concerts, led by founder and director, Jeannette Sorrell, whose work is becoming world renowned.

Tickets are available by phone at 800-314-2535 or online at www.apollosfire.org. Pre-concert talks begin one hour before each concert.

Cleveland Heights performances are Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15, 8 p.m.; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2747 Fairmount Blvd. Visit www.appollosfire.org for other concert locations.