mezzo soprano Rhea DesandreA member of the Jupiter Ensemble, he does not distinguish between the Baroque era and the Rock and Roll era.
“We grew up with this music,” she said in a video call from Montreal. “Just like we grew up with The Beatles and Amy Winehouse.”
The 28-year-old has established herself as one of today’s most exciting voices in early musical performance. She has also pioneered a repertoire of 18th-century and her 19th-century opera, from Mozart to Meyerbeer, in such prominent theaters as the Zurich Herbalist and the Paris Opera.
The singer has performed annually at the Salzburg Festival since 2018, both on the opera and concert stages.Lettres amoureuses(“Love Letter”). In the group’s previous concerts of 17th-century Italian music in France and Holland, arias and instrumental music by famous composers such as Monteverdi and Handel were performed by Tarquinio Merula and Andrea Falconieri. juxtaposed with exciting discoveries such as
Desandre says ensemblewas founded by a lutenist Thomas Dunford in 2018.they joined forces for her last year first solo album, “The Amazoness,” explores the French and Italian repertoire written about female warriors from Greek mythology known as Amazones. The next recording, scheduled for release this fall, is a line-up of numbers from Handel’s oratorio ‘Eternal Heaven’.
Dunford, 34, promotes the spirit of democracy and takes suggestions from members of the ensemble in curating programs. “It’s kind of like a jazz group in that sense,” he said by phone from Montreal, where he and Desandre were touring with the ensemble. Les Arts Florissants (The two met the group in 2015 and maintain a close relationship with its founder, William Christie).
For Jupiter’s first album “Vivaldi”, the members launched a poll on Facebook asking about their friends’ favorite arias. In another surprising twist, each Jupiter album ends with a newly created surprise track. For Amazone, Dunford contributed a song, “Amazones,” which appeals to the importance of environmental awareness.
A native of France with American roots, Dunford credits viola da gamba player Jordi Savart (his parents both studied with him) and Christie as pioneers in setting the stage for today’s generation of players. mentioned as one of the “The best lesson we can learn is to be sincere and passionate,” he said. “Because we don’t really know what Vivaldi sounded like. [in his time] — we can logically understand his music and put our personality into it. “
Desandre has a particular affinity for Italian baroque music. The singer, who is of French-Italian ancestry, left the Conservatory to study with Sala the contralto in Venice. I was.
A spiritual song by Tarquinio Merula soon became the starting point for ‘Lettres amoureuses’. In “Hor ch’è tempo di dormire” (“Now is the time to fall asleep”), the text has a vision of the crucifixion of Jesus as the Virgin Mary rocks him as a baby. oscillates between kindness and violence.
Desandre likened the music to a “heartbeat” or a kind of spiral. “She says ‘Rest in peace,’ but she knows something tragic will happen,” she explained.
Her research with Mingard was based on a holistic rather than a technical approach to vocal research. At one point, Ms. Desandre said she was advised to “go out and have a good time and find a boyfriend for her to live with so she can pass on this experience on stage.”
Other singing mentors include Nathalie Dessay (who inspired Desandre to turn professional after seeing her on TV when she was 12), Vivica Jennaud, Veronique Jens, Cecilia Bartoli. Her two singers in the latter perform on “Amazone”. Mr. Christie has also participated in instrumental works by French composer Louis Couperin.
“This album is a kind of homage to the important people in my life,” said Desandre. The singer also personally chooses the photographer, Julian BenhamCreated cover art in collaboration with the dancers of the Paris Opera.
It’s also a nod to Desandre’s training as a ballerina, which she says allows her to physically let go on stage. “It’s one of the best ingredients for singing,” she said.
In his Salzburg Festival debut in 2018, director Jan Lauwers gave her complete artistic freedom to dance on stage while singing the role of Complimio for Amore and Valet in Monteverdi’s ‘L’incoronazione di Poppea’. gave. The singer said that if Paris was the city she was born and raised in, Salzburg “became the city of my heart, because I found something like family there. Taking risks with me.” People who don’t mind.”
A nature lover, she also mentioned the city’s inspiring landscapes. “When she finishes rehearsing and stands in front of the mountain and finds herself surrounded by greenery for five minutes, it’s very nourishing for her,” she said. “These are moments of communion that allow us to connect with our energies, to center ourselves, to be very focused.”
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, singing the role of Despina in the production of Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” at the scaled-down Salzburg Festival in August 2020 is particularly memorable. “There was tension during rehearsals,” she recalls. “It’s about remembering why we make music and why we love being together.”
A similar spirit drives the Jupiter Ensemble. The members of the group are always living in the moment, working over time until the program reaches its full maturity.
“I also have experiences to share behind the scenes,” said Desandre. “It means that when we perform, we trust each other, we listen to each other, we adore each other. We want to share this happiness with the audience,” she said.
