Ascanio in Alba

« Ascanio isn’t just anyone – he’s the son of Aeneas, tied to the very founding of Rome. But here, he’s no warrior hero. He’s a lovesick young man. The plot ? Well, it’s not the most dramatic, I’ll admit – but the music is absolutely dazzling. And when you consider that Mozart was just 15 when he wrote it, it’s nothing short of astonishing. Ascanio in Alba is an opera of pure virtuosity, designed to showcase the singers, with bravura arias and glittering vocal fireworks.
And we’ve assembled a sparkling cast: Rocío Pérez, Mélissa Petit, Anna El-Khashem, Alisa Kolosova, and the tenor Alasdair Kent… You simply can’t take on this piece without first-rate voices.
I’m delighted to finally conduct this work – it’s been on my radar for some time. I do hope we’ll be able to record it. Our Mitridate and La Betulia liberata are important milestones in our discography, and Ascanio in Alba will be right at home alongside them. It’s a chance to approach Mozart from another angle. I’ll probably never record a Don Giovanni or a Requiem – there are already so many versions – but his early works, so often played mechanically, deserve performers who can bring them to life with real depth.
As for the story… it’s love as diplomacy, really – written to celebrate a princely wedding. Do royals really love each other? With a bit of luck. But the point is the union of dynasties and kingdoms. »

– Christophe Rousset