Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 (1724) Ouverture, « Svegliatevi nel core », « Cara speme questo core », Sinfonia de l’acte III, « L’Angue offeso mai riposa »
Rodrigo, HWV 5 (1707) Passacaille
Serse, HWV 40 (1737) « Ombra mai fu », « Crude furie »
Ariodante, HWV 33 (1734) Ouverture, « Scherza infida », « Dopo notte »
Concerto grosso, op. 3 nº 2, HWV 313 (1734)
Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711) Prélude de l’acte I, « Cara sposa », « Venti, turbini »
KEY’MON MURRAH, contre-ténor
LES TALENS LYRIQUES
CHRISTOPHE ROUSSET, direction
While I was beginning my harpsichord studies in Aix-en-Provence, I had the good fortune to attend the final rehearsal of Handel’s Alcina. A powerful impression has remained with me ever since: the beauty of the voices, enhanced by writing of incomparable elegance, the contrasts of emotion, the exhilaration born of virtuosity, and the expressive power of the adagios. It was there that a lasting love for this composer took root : for the voices best suited to serve him, for Baroque opera, and for the sense of the marvelous that it conveys.
It was therefore only natural that, from the founding of Les Talens Lyriques, I should devote myself to performing Handel’s works. Since then, his operas have followed one another, as have recitals, brought to life by great artists such as Joyce DiDonato and Sandrine Piau, both in France and abroad, both on stage and on record.
With this programme, I am delighted to be reunited with the countertenor Key’mon Murrah. While I have often favoured female voices for Handel’s travesti roles, I was utterly captivated by his Sesto in Giulio Cesare. He is an artist of exceptional vocal power, technique, and expressivity, and one could hardly imagine a more compelling performer to embody, with brilliance, the great heroes of Handelian opera seria.
Christophe Rousset