Queen al Piano

Brigitte Meyer was born in Biel, Switzerland, where she experienced a happy childhood that, as far back as she can remember, was shaped by music. She gave her debut with orchestra at age eleven and went on to study at the conservatories in Biel and Lausanne, where she graduated at the age of nineteen with a degree in performance. She had already begun an active concert career but wished to continue her studies in Vienna – a decision that was rewarded by a personal invitation to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from Bruno Seidlhofer, who later spoke of three outstanding pupils: Friedrich Gulda (the genius), Martha Argerich (the great virtuoso), and Brigitte Meyer (the great musician). Meyer received the Bösendorfer Prize in Vienna and was a finalist at the Clara Haskil Piano Competition in Vevey.

This year, the Queen Elisabeth Competition was devoted, for the tenth time, to the voice. And the Competition that has just taken place illustrates the growing interest it is attracting among young singers and the public. A record number of candidates (412) applied to take part and, after the video preselection process, the 55 candidates who performed in Brussels sang, right from the first round, in a packed Studio 4 in Flagey. In a first for the voice competition, it was also possible to follow the performances in the first round on video via the platforms of the Competition and its partners. The jury, chaired by Bernard Foccroulle, brought together well-known names from the world of opera. For the recordings in this CD set, the singers were accompanied on the piano, either by a pianist of their own choice, or by one of the Competition’s excellent official pianists (Ouri Bronchti, Anna Naretto, Nino Pavlenichvili, Philippe Riga, and Ian Tindale) in the rounds that took place in Flagey. In the final at the Centre for Fine Arts, their accompaniment was provided by the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its Music Director, Alain Altinoglu.

Fun, furious, frantic, and utterly fantastic! The surreal world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, both in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, is given an extra twist in Gerald Barry’s operatic treatment. At less than an hour for the whole opera, this short, sharp shot of mayhem is ideal as a family treat. Meet a kaleidoscope of colorful characters in this joyful, headlong rush into a world gone deliciously mad. This release is based on the original production of the same title, a co-production between Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Irish National Opera.