Peerless Queen, fearsome leader, and an amorous lover - Cleopatra is depicted throughout history as a woman possessing legendary intelligence and enviable beauty. ‘The Queen of the Nile’ features showpiece Baroque arias by Handel inspired by the enigmatic Egyptian monarch, alongside music by his contemporaries that will surprise and delight. Audiences will be introduced to rising star Sofia Troncoso, in collaboration with Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra for the very first time.
Performing without a conductor, Camerata celebrate an environment where all musicians take full ownership of their artform in the spirit of chamber music. Demonstrated in Heinrich Biber’s colourful and eccentric Battalia is their taste for flair, with virtuosity in full flight as Artistic Director Brendan Joyce takes a central role in in Pisendel’s Violin Concerto in D major.
Gaining praise from critics world-wide for her ‘sweet timbre and exceptional acting abilities’, the luxurious voice of soprano Sofia Troncoso will be on full display. In her rare Australian performance, she’ll feature in two arias from Handel’s Giulio Cesare, including the sublime ‘Piangero’, before the evening finishes with a burst of vocal pyrotechnics with music from Vivaldi’s opera Il Tigrane, inspired by the other Cleopatra, the Queen of Armenia.
We welcome you to reconnect with live music, the arts, and the Musica Viva community, in the company of sublime arias from Handel and a collection of German and Italian Baroque delights.
Download concert guide here.
For those who miss out on tickets or would prefer to enjoy live Baroque music performed by some of Australia’s finest musicians from the comfort of their own home, we will be offering a live streamed version of our Sydney 16 November concert. ARIA-nominated harpsichordist Erin Helyard and Baritone David Greco unite on stage to perform a stunning program of Baroque gems. Joined by a line-up of leading period instrument musicians, be uplifted and inspired by a program of Bach, Handel, Biber and more, live streamed straight to your living room. Find out more here.
PERFORMERS
Camerata Queensland's Chamber Orchestra
Brendan Joyce Violin
Sofia Troncoso Soprano
PROGRAM
LOCKE Curtain Tune from The Tempest
VALENTINI Concerto no 7 in G major
HASSE Sinfonia from Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
HANDEL ‘Da Tempesta’ from Giulio Cesare
PISENDEL Violin Concerto in D major
HANDEL ‘Piangero’ from Giulio Cesare
BIBER Battalia
VIVALDI ‘Squarciami pur il seno’
PROGRAM TIMINGS
60 minutes
Please note that there will not be an interval
