„In the midst of chaos, how do you find peace?“, is one of the pressing topical questions that Joyce DiDonato asks in her powerful work In War & Piece – Harmony through Music. The Grammy Award winning mezzo-soprano fashions an intense semi-theatricalized concert production, including works by George Frideric Handel and Henry Purcell. Organizing a set of Baroque arias along thematic lines, DiDonato contemplates the interwoven worlds of external conflict and serenity, internal war and peace, and the challenges which they provide for every citizen of the world. Together with the period-instrument ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro under Maxim Emelyanychev, the singer creates a dramatic atmosphere on the stage of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. In the music of Handel, DiDonato achieves a “purity that enhances the composer’s signature formula” (Washington Post).
Eden – Joyce DiDonato sings in Olympia
In the heart of Olympia, the same place where the first Olympic games were held and the Olympic torch is ignited, American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato performs EDEN. Captured on film for the first time, her internationally acclaimed tour and CD concept is more than just a concert program: EDEN not only invites the audience to reflect on the power and beauty of nature, but also to recognize our responsibility for our planet. In several emblematic locations on the ancient site of Olympia, DiDonato interprets pieces
from Cavalli to Handel and from Mahler to Charles Ives together with the ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro under the baton of Maxim Emelyanychev, featuring musicians from all around the world.
Handel in Concert – Patrizia Ciofi & Donna Leon
Fearless in the face of death, unflinching in their love, ruthless in their revenge: the women in Handel’s operas are anything but one-dimensional. Italian coloratura soprano Patrizia Ciofi and the Baroque ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro, led by Maxim Emelyanychev, perform the most powerful and moving arias from Handel’s operas. Together with bestselling author and Handel enthusiast Donna Leon they set out to discover the women’s stories. When Rodelinda becomes a veritable goddess of revenge, Ciofi interprets her great aria “Morrai, si” with dramatic ferocity. In Alcina (1735), the heroine has the power to bewitch the whole world around her, but none over her own heart. Ciofi emotionally commits to Alcina’s desperate arias, “Ah, Ruggero crudel… Ombre pallide” and “Ah, mio cor”, showcasing the tragedy of the narrative. “An original and electrifying spectacle!” (ForumOpera)