Avec pour toile de fond la guerre sans merci qui opposa Handel et Porpora, un récital lyrique interprété par la talentueuse mezzo-soprano Giuseppina Bridelli.
À Londres, dans les années 1730, deux maîtres de l’art lyrique se livrent une guerre sans merci : Handel, à la tête de la Royal Academy of music et Porpora, chef de file de l’Opera of the Nobility. Leur rivalité laisse les deux institutions londoniennes au bord de la banqueroute, mais permet au public d’assister à la création des plus grands chefs-d’œuvre du répertoire tels que Polifemo ou Ariodante ! Tandis que tout oppose ces deux artistes bouillonnants, c’est une rencontre pacifique autour des plus grands airs lyriques du XVIIIe siècle que proposent Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu et le musicologue Stefano Aresi. Un répertoire qui offre à Giuseppina Bridelli l’occasion d’exprimer l’étendue de ses talents d’artiste lyrique et de tragédienne.
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In January 1733, and wishing to counter the dominance of both Handel and his Royal Academy of Music, a group of London nobles set up the Opera of the Nobility with Nicola Porpora as the musical director, who was considered more modern. He arrived in London with one major asset: he was the « castrato maestro ». Farinelli, Il Senesino and Il Porporino were all trained by Porpora, and on arrival in London, received a frenzied welcome worthy of today’s pop stars. Both opponents engaged in a battle to the death. Both opera houses went bankrupt with the associates losing thousands of pounds. Only the audience emerged triumphant as this crazy four year period was attended by some of the greatest masterpieces and inventive works of the repertoire such as Polifemo by Porpora or Ariodante by Handel.
This program alternates music from both Handel and Porpora: a peaceful and exquisite encounter featuring some of the finest lyrical arias of the 18th century. In reality however, a real battle was raging in London between the two maestros. We suggest Giuseppina Bridelli’s interpretation, a promising 21st century charismatic diva whose mezzo timbre is profound and luxurious.
