Wicked witches, dream goddesses, hags, femmes fatales: the vocal repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries is bursting with memorable women. For more than a hundred years, their multifaceted characters, tragic life stories and complex emotional words seduced poets into evocative verses and composers into poignant musical portraits, blazing recitatives and extravagant, crowd-pleasing arias. With Circe, Medea and Armida as their guides and music by François Couperin, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Francesco Cavalli, George Frideric Handel and others, the mezzo soprano Lucile Richardo and harpsichordist Jean-Luc Ho pull out all the stops for a glorious return to the Baroque.
Program
Arias and cantatas by G.F. Händel, F. Cavalli, G. de Macque, M-A. Charpentier, J-B. Lully, J-H. d’Anglebert, W. Webb, H. Purcell, F. Couperin, F.C. de Blamont
Performers
Lucile Richardot, mezzo soprano | Jean-Luc Ho, harpsichord