Roman Festival
Grand Concert at the Cardinal’s Palace
A. Corelli, G. F. Händel – concerti grossi
A. Scarlatti, A. Vivaldi, G. F. Händel – arias
Claire Lefilliâtre – soprano
orchestra:
ARTE DEI SUONATORI (Poland)
Aureliusz Goliński – violin, artistic director
& COLLEGIUM MARIANUM (Czech Republic)
Lenka Torgersen – concert master
Jana Semerádová – artistic director
Tuesday 6. 8. 2013, 7.30 pm
Prague Castle, Spanish Hall, Prague 1
Supported by the Polish Institute in Prague and Institut Français Prague. In cooperation with Prague Castle Administration.
The glory of Baroque Rome is closely linked with the pomp of the many cardinals’ palaces. The residences of these art-loving patrons were also the sites of some of the key encounters of music history. Cardinal Benedetto Pamhilj, for example, having spent his youth in the illustrious Palazzo Doria Pamphilj (today one of the best Roman art galleries, hosting works by Caravaggio, Tizian, Velasquez, and many others), was the author of libretti for Alessandro Scarlatti’s and G. F. Haendel’s cantatas and oratorios. Another member of the cardinalate, Carlo Colonna, employed Giovanni Bononcini, one of the undervalued geniuses of Baroque music, and Pietro Ottoboni – a cardinal, poet, librettist and a collector of music scores all in one person – hosted Baroque opera productions when opera was banned in Rome at the beginning of the 18th century.
The opulent music banquets in Ottobini’s grand Palazzo della Cancelleria (opulent to such an extent that Ottobini ended up bankrupt) were an inspiration for Roman festival, the concluding performance of this year’s Summer Festivities of Early Music. In the cardinal’s residence, musicians such as Antonio Vivaldi and Arcangelo Corelli would share the same music stand; among other frequent guests were Haendel, Scarlatti, and Bononcini. On 6 August in the Spanish Hall of the Prague Castle, the Baroque orchestras Arte dei Suonatori from Poland and Collegium Marianum from Prague combined their sound to accompany the brilliant soprano of Claire Lefilliâtre and to make another occasion for the cardinal’s protégés to meet.
Concert Programme
Arcangello Corelli (1653 – 1713)
Concerto grosso in B flat major, Op. 8 No. 5
Concerto grosso in C minor, Op. 6, No. 3
Giovanni Bononcini (1670 – 1747)
Voglio piangere (aria di Maddalena from the oratorio Maddalena in casa del Fariseo, 1690)
G. F. Händel (1685 – 1759)
Concerto grosso in G major, Op. 3 No. 3
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (aria di Piacere, Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, 1708, HWV 46a)
Chi ben ama non paventa (z / from Aminta e Fillide: Arrista il passo, 1708, HWV 83)
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725)
La tua destra, o sommo Dio (aria di Giuditta from the oratorio La Giuditta, 1693)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Vedrò con mio diletto (aria di Anastasio, Il Giustino, 1724, RV 717)[/DDET]
Festival Which Knows How to Surprise Concluded with a Feast in the Palace
MF DNES, 8. 8. 2013, Věra Drápelová
The French soprano Claire Lefilliâtre proved to be an excellent singer. Her dark, vibrato free soprano and suggestive performance made the arias by Bononcini, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, and Händel sound especially interesting. The feast was as dignified as the whole festival.
Summer Festivities of Early Music
Harmonie 9/2013, Michaela Freemanová
The conclusion of this year’s Summer Festivities of Early Music had a special appeal in offering a glimpse of baroque courtly culture with its particular features.
Summer Festivities of Early Music 2013
Hudební rozhledy 10/2013, Lukáš Vytlačil
The special guest was the soprano Claire Lefilliâtre, one of the foremost french vocal artists today. Her voice was endowed with great intonation surety and sonorous sound…
The violin solos of Lenka Torgersen and Aureliusz Goliński were a perfect example of technical brilliance and musicality.
As regards the string instruments, this was perhaps the most exquisite treatment of the acoustics that I remember in the Spanish Hall.
The Roman Festival was an excellent concert as well as a grand conclusion of this year’s Summer Festivities of Early Music which came once again a with a unique programme offer.
