Tonight's the night! I debut a new recital program here in Madrid at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, and I'm terribly nervous and wonderfully excited! The task of getting nearly 2 hours worth of music up and running in front of a hungry public without the benefit of stage techs and dress rehearsals as we have in the world of opera feels a bit daunting at this moment, especially since nearly all the music is brand new for me. But then the prospect of singing these wonderful songs and sharing an evening of divine music with that beloved public reminds me of how very fortunate I am!!
Just over a year ago I was sat in various dressing rooms at the MET sifting through piles and piles of music, trying to sort out an interesting, cohesive, inspired program for this tour. (Talk about daunting!) What began to take shape was an exploration of over 3 Centuries of Italian Canzone, primarily focused on love: love celebrated, rejected, mourned, exhilerated, and perhaps ultimately laughed at. I have tried to find a good balance of sincerity, enlightenment, humor, and celebration, and we'll see tonight if I found the right combination!
There are several reasons I have enjoyed working so hard on this program. The first is that I think it really represents much of who I am as an artist: I have a heavy concentration of Italian repertoire under my belt, with Italian perhaps being my best foreign language (although my atrocious grammar must surely give me away!). Secondly, I have a passion for all things "ancient" and all things "new", having built a career on music from Handel to Heggie, so it feels appropriate to bring so many centuries of music to the stage in one night. And perhaps most of all, I'm madly in love with an Italian, myself, and it's rather fun to celebrate his country and his culture's take on this thing called "love".
**I believe the recital will be broadcast on Spanish radio on the 21st - I'll post details later here, if it happens!
Off to revel in "Amor"!!!
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17 comments:
First of all, let me say that your italian grammar is NOT atrocious AT ALL! You can speak italian far better than I can speak english (and I studied for almost 11 years...). Above all (let me say this), I used to believe that I could hardly have suffered Monteverdi and the recitar cantando sung by a non italian singer.
Than I experienced your "Addio Roma".
And you closed my mouth (or opened, for its effect).
So, don't belittle your half-italianity and PLEASE, get that concert to be broadcasted for poor faraway italian (and not only) fans!
TOY TOY TOY!
R.
In bocca al lupo! :D
I can't wait to see you on Sunday ^^ Also, Irishrover, Mei and I will attend the Cenerentola related act before the performance! I'm so excited I just keep talking and moving around and I'm driving my flat mate crazy LOL
Thanks goodness I will have to show Irishrover around Barcelona from Friday to Sunday and I will have something to spend my energy excess on ;)
I know you'll be tired after flying from Canarias and singing about love (it must be as beautiful as extenuating) but we would like to invite you for a coffee or something if you are to spend a little time in Barcelona. And I promise NOT to take you anywhere with dusty air! Feel free to decline, I know this is somewhat inadequate lol I only wish with all my heart you have the time and want to meet us ^^
All my love,
Irene
Toï toï toï for tonight then, even if I'm quite sure everything will go fine! So looking forward to seeing you in Barcelona, the program looks amazing.
Have fun tonight, and choose the right shoes ;)
I looked for a link to the program to see what you would be singing, but could not find it. Would it be possible to post it for us? Thanks.
Toï toï toï!! May you enjoy this Tour! I'm sure WE will :-D
And maybe you'll record a CD...after Furore, Amore! :-)
The "crazy winter weather" seems to have calmed down for now...just in time for your Tour!
Bye!
Alix
Ya tengo ganas de escucharte este domingo en BCN! Un abrazo!!
Albert
Joyce, Every good wish for this wonderful tour. I am sure in its own way it will be as towering an achievement as "Furore!"...the memory of that being still fresh from your great success in KC. I have even succeeded in making a Handel fan out of my dear sister...who follows your turns on YouTube. Good Luck!
Looking forward to next sunday... :-)
I confirm the Madrid recital will be broadcasted, there will be also an internet broadcast ( http://www.rtve.es/radio/radioclasica/), on thursday 21st at 21.00 by Radio Clásica from Radio Nacional de España.
21.00 Temporada del Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid. Ciclo Lied.
Celebrado el 18 de Enero de 2010. Tres siglos de “Amore”.
Obras de: DURANTE, PERGOLESI, CACCINI, ROSSI, RONTANI, PAISIELLO, BEETHOVEN, ROSSINI, SANTOLIQUIDO, PIZZETTI, TOSELLI, DONAUDY, CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO, PECCIA, LEONCAVALLO, GIURANNA, DI CHIARA. J. DiDonato (mez.), D. Zobel (p.).
Thanks for the unusual program... and specially the Rossini´s arias.
I found I canti della sera by Francesco Santoliquido very appealing.
You have a gift as a comic actress. Have you tried the french operetta repertoire?
What an impressive programme!!! That's quite challenge. But with you, Joyce, we are used to you mastering perfectly the most demanding situations. Therefore I am sure everything went well yesterday. Toi, toi, toi for the coming evenings and enjoy travelling around Europe with such a LOVEly programme. Can't wait to hear the radio broadcast and witness it with my own eyes. Bruselas te espera, guapa!
¡¡¡Arriba Madrid ... Joyce DiDonato ha llegado al Teatro de la Zarzuela!!! Toi, toi, toi to you! Please, please pass on potential news of broadcast.
Joyce,
I've often wondered how singers put their programmes together - now I know.
Very much looking forward to hearing the finished programme on Tuesday night at Wigmore Hall.
Ian
I suggest you post details now....because it is happening!!!
It is being broadcast on the Radio Clásica right now!!! :-D
Bye!
Alix
Hi
Just a little bit jet-lagged?
Thanks a lot for your voice ;-)
be well
Edgar
Thank you very much for an unforgetable evening in the Barcelona Liceu. I hope see you again in "La donna del Lago" in Paris.
Un abbraccio
Dearest Joyce!
It was amazing to see you again ^^ I will definitely try to be there for that Comte Ory! I already miss you *sigh* I'd wish you luck for London and Brussels, but you don't need it :D
All my love,
Irene
Dear Joyce, hope you are back safe and sound home, enjoying a few relaxing days before settling off for new adventures. Thank you once more for the WONDERFUL, generous recital of Saturday here in Brussels. I was galvanised once more from the beginning to the end. It was SO great to have you again in our nicely, cosy theatre. You definitely conquered all the hearts of the sometimes reserved Brussels audience. There was so much I wanted to tell you afterwards, but once more I was stupidly terribly intimidated and could not speak a single phrase...
A très bientôt!
ps: the Barbican has revealed some of its plans: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=10311
This Ariodante will definitly take London by storm! What a great cast! Already looking forward to it. No doubt you will repeat the Geneva success together with the delicious Karina Gauvin, the “devastating” Marie-Nicole Lemieux (and allow me a little national proud here) the exquisite Belgian soprano Sophie Karthäuser.
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