Steffani: Drama & Devotion by Steffani, Do. 08 Nov. 2018, Ab (2018/2018), Dirigat Ivars Taurins, Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Toronto, Kanada

Directed by Ivars Taurins Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano Tafelmusik Chamber Choir Discover sacred and secular works by a forgotten composer of the baroque era. Diplomat, spy, priest, singer—Agostino Steffani was a busy man. He was also the composer of some of the most captivating music of his time. Steffani wrote for both the church and the opera house, and the sheer beauty of his music explains his new-found popularity in the 21st century. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, together with star Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, share a portrait of Steffani both dramatic and devotional. We hear stunning arias from his operas, and the piece Steffani claimed was his finest: his ethereal setting of the Stabat Mater, an iconic poem on a mother’s grief for her son.