Dele Charvet

The young mezzo-soprano Adèle Charvet joins Alpha for several projects. In 2017 she received the Prize of the Verbier Festival Academy. While she has already attracted attention in the opera house, Adèle Charvet is also passionately interested in the song repertory. For her first album, she has devised a very personal programme, deriving in part from her musical partnership and friendship with the pianist Susan Manoff. Both of them have drawn on their New York childhoods: ‘Long Time Ago’ weaves together the threads of our lives’ says Susan. Adèle continues: ‘The musical journey is immense, from the central repertory of American music – Barber, Copland, Ives – to cabaret songs (Heggie and Bolcom), with a detour by way of England: Britten, Vaughan Williams … For example, Jake Heggie’s Amor describes the journey across the city of faux-naif sex maniac. The police, the ice cream vendor, the gospel choir all shout “AMORI” when they see him. Samuel Barber’s Solitary Hotel is like an Edward Hopper painting in music, Aaron Copland’s At the River invites pilgrims to the church meeting: “Yes, we’ll gather at the river” … The programme unfolds like a wheel, a cycle that traverses the cardinal points of life.’

Doté depuis son plus jeune âge d'une sensibilité unique, l'auteur communique avec des personnes décédées. Convaincu que leurs âmes peuvent guider et accompagner les vivants, il raconte son histoire et ses rencontres afin de se faire le relais de leurs messages. …

Napoleon was intensely enthusiastic about opera. The conquering music lover called for the young Italian star, the contralto Giuseppina Grassini, and the most magnificent castrato: Girolamo Crescentini to perform for him. He was the only singer to move the Emperor to tears. Crescentini was invited to France from 1806 to 1812. He sang at glorious evening performances at the Tuileries Imperial Chapel with Grassini, named First Cantatrice to His Majesty the Emperor – and his mistress. Napoleon had an incredible passion for Italian opera, as shown by the 143 Italian soloist concerts given at the Court between 1810 and 1815! Zingarelli’s Giulietta e Romeo opera was a major performance given by Grassini and Crescentini.