Organization

Singer

Countertenor

Philippe Jaroussky

Valer Sabadus

Conductor

Christina Pluhar

Theorbo (intrument)

Opéra Royal de Versailles

Others

L’Arpeggiata

Philippe Jaroussky et Valer Sabadus: les premiers castrats à Paris

Versailles

France

Opéra Royal

Philippe Jaroussky et Valer Sabadus: les premiers castrats à Paris: Recital Various

Public

Recital

Approved

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

A pupil of Jean de Macque in Naples, Luigi Rossi went to Rome in 1614. He entered the service of the Borghese family and became organist at the Church of Saint-Louis-des-Français in Rome. In 1635, he continued at the invitation of Ferdinando II de' Medici to Florence where he spent several years.

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

From 1645, musicians such as Marco Marazzoli, the castrati Atto Melani and Mario Savioni, and above all the composer Luigi Rossi arrived in Paris, who staged his Orfeo in front of the court in 1647, the most ambitious production presented in France at that time... The concert program is based on two precious manuscripts offered to Queen Anne of Austria, kept at the National Library of France. They contain around a hundred Italian cantatas, most of them composed by Luigi Rossi, which testify to the performance of Italian vocal music by Italian and French singers at court. Under the luminous guidance of Christina Pluhar, the two heroes of the evening, Philippe Jaroussky and Valer Sabadus, bring to life the treasures that turned the heads of courtiers,

English

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