Star mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato dazzles in evening of Baroque arias and instrumental music
- From a sublime Dido’s Lament to a jubilant closing Handel aria, the American singer showed the full range of her singing
- She was ably accompanied by period instrument ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro
Joyce DiDonato and the period instrument ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro captivated Hong Kong concertgoers in a programme made up largely of Baroque arias and works by Purcell and Handel and drawn from the Kansas-born star mezzo-soprano’s album “In War & Peace: Harmony Through Music”. The concert opened the 2019 edition of the annual chamber music event Beare's Premiere Music Festival.
In “Part 1: War”, DiDonato handled the virtuosic leaps in “Scenes of horror, scenes of woe” from Handel’s oratorio Jephtha with ease. Il Pomo d’Oro’s accompaniment was pulsating and beautifully played.
The political opera singer using her art to bring people together
The soloist’s versatility was equally impressive in Leonardo Leo’s “Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro!” as she switched effortlessly between moods of craziness and affection as Andromaca, the “fighter of men!”
Russian-born conductor and harpsichordist Maxim Emelyanychev’s peppery leadership brought the ensemble’s fine musicianship to the fore in two instrumental interludes: the Sinfonia by Emilio de’Cavalieri and Henry Purcell’s Chaconne in G minor. Il Pomo D’Oro sparkled with its taut, smooth inegal (unequal) playing and clean entries.
DiDonato’s rendition of “Dido’s Lament” from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas was sublime. Her wonderful sotto voce pianissimo was beguiling, as it was later in the foreboding “Pensieri, voi mi tormentante” from Handel’s Agrippina and “Lascia ch’io pianga” (“Let me weep”) from the same composer’s Rinaldo, which ended the first part in heavenly resignation.
Handel dominated in “Part 2: Peace”. “Crystal streams in murmurs flowing” from Susanne was another ideal vehicle for DiDonato to demonstrate her impressive vocal control, while Il Pomo d’Oro aptly portrayed burbling streams in the accompaniment.