Patrizia Ciofi | soprano
Lea Desandre | mezzo-soprano
Anthea Pichanick | contralto

For music lovers of the 21st century, Handel undeniably dominates the lyrical art of the 18th century. But his contemporaries did not agree, and other masters competed with him, often successfully, for the attention of audiences. Porpora, Farinelli's teacher, was invited to London by Handel's opponents to bring down Handel. Farinelli's brother Riccardo Broschi, also a highly esteemed composer, enjoyed some success in the English capital. On the other side of the continent, in Vienna, Caldara established himself as the illustrious representative of the Italian school in the imperial capital. All of them wrote sublime pages for the stars of their time: Farinelli, of course, but other castrati hardly less adored (Carestini, Senesino or Caffarelli), without forgetting the sopranos Francesca Cuzzoni or Faustina Bordoni, or the mezzo Margherita Durastanti. Drawing on the most famous works of Handel and his contemporaries, Thibault Noally and the virtuosos of the Accents resurrect a glorious era, lovingly surrounding the sumptuous voices of Patrizia Ciofi, star of the greatest lyric scenes, and of two rising stars already at the helm of a flattering career, Lea Desandre and Anthea Pichanick. An evening that promises to be breathtaking.

PRODUCTION Les Grandes Voix