Simone Kermes en Vivica Genaux kruipen in de huid van Francesca Cuzzoni (1696-1778) en Faustina Bordoni (1697-1781) die in Parma (1714) en Venetië (1716) hun debuut maakten. In 1718 staan de twee prima donna’s in Venetië samen op het toneel. Opnieuw komen ze elkaar in Londen tegen, waar de aria’s zodanig uitgekiend moeten worden dat Cuzzoni net zo kan blijven schitteren en haar rivale Bordoni net zo mag schitteren. In 1727 – tijdens een uitvoering van Astianatte van Giovanni Bononcini – gaat het fout. De dames gaan elkaar op het toneel te lijf, wat uiteraard veel opschudding geeft. Zonder elkaar fysiek te lijf te gaan zingen Simone Kermes en Vivica Genaux onder begeleiding van Andrés Gabetta met Cappella Gabetta vol overgave aria’s uit de periode 1720-1739.
Playlist
Giuseppe Arena: 1739 La clemenza di Tito: "Come potesti, oh dio"
Giovanni Bononcini: 1727 Astianatte: "Spera che questo cor"
Johann Adolf Hasse: 1731 Cleofide: "Se mai più sarò geloso"
Geminiano Giacomelli: 1730 Scipione in Cartagine nuova: "Villanella nube estiva"
Domenico Natale Sarro: 1722 Lucio Vero: "Al valor di Borea armato"
Johann Adolf Hasse: 1730 Artaserse: "Va' tra le selve ircane"
Leonardo Vinci: 1725 Ifigenia in Tauride: "L'onda chiara che dal fonte"
Nicola Antonio Porpora: 1723 Elisa: "Nobil onda"
Attilio Ariosti: 1727 Lucio Vero: "Vorreste o mie pupille"
Nicola Antonio Porpora: 1733 Arianna in Nasso: "In amoroso petto"
Giovanni Bononcini: 1727 Astianatte: "Svenalo, traditor"
Johann Adolf Hasse: 1732 Issipile: "Impallidisce in campo"
Leonardo Leo: 1739 Ciro riconosciuto: "Benché l'augel s'asconda"
Antonio Pollarolo: 1720 Lucio Papirio dittatore: "Padre amoroso"
Johann Adolf Hasse: 1730 Artaserse: "Tu vuoi ch'io viva o cara"
The Album explores the artistic legacies of the two legendary singers (Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni) and the heights of inspiration to which their rivalry moved the leading composers of their era.
A thrilling recording, in which Simone Kermes and Vivica Genaux sing arias and duets composed at the height of the rivalry between Eighteenth-Century singers Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni.
June 1727 was witness to the mother of all theater scandals. Francesca Cuzzoni (alias Simone Kermes) and Faustina Bordoni (alias Vivica Genaux), arch-rivals and both superstars of Italian opera, had a fight on stage at London’s Haymarket Theatre.
Featuring music by Bononcini, Händel, Leo, Lotti, Pollarolo, Porpora, and Porta, most of which has not been heard since the careers of Bordoni and Cuzzoni, Rival Queens explores the artistic legacies of the two legendary singers and the heights of inspiration to which their much-fêted competition moved the important composers of the era.
