Philippe Jaroussky and Valer Sabadus

Concert

Philippe Jaroussky et Valer Sabadus

Cast

Presentation

Homepage Philippe Jaroussky and Valer Sabadus

Cast

Philippe Jaroussky Countertenor

Valer Sabadus Countertenor

L’Arpeggiata

Christina Pluhar Theorbo and Conductor

Presentation

No Italian composer achieved as much success in France during the 17th century as Luigi Rossi, composer, harpist, lutenist, singer, and organist.

A student of Jean de Macque in Naples, Luigi Rossi moved to Rome in 1614. He entered the service of the Borghese family and became the organist at the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. In 1635, he followed the invitation of Ferdinand II de Medici to Florence, where he spent several years.

At the very beginning of Louis XIV’s reign, France was governed by Cardinal Mazarin, who decided to import the most brilliant performances from the Italian capitals, famous for their operas and vocal stars: the castrati.

From 1645, musicians such as Marco Marazzoli, castrati Atto Melani and Mario Savioni, and especially composer Luigi Rossi arrived in Paris. Rossi’s opera Orfeo was performed before the French court in 1647, the most ambitious production presented in France at the time. The concert program is based on two precious manuscripts presented to Queen Anne of Austria, preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. These manuscripts contain a hundred Italian cantatas, most composed by Luigi Rossi, showcasing the execution of Italian vocal music by both Italian and French singers at court. Under the brilliant direction of Christina Pluhar, the two stars of the evening, Philippe Jaroussky and Valer Sabadus, bring to life the treasures that captivated the courtiers, establishing Italian music as the foundation of opera in France: the grandeur and pleasures of the Italian castrati in Paris.

Show less