Tiranno Kate

Corruption? Betrayal? Persecution? Tyranny? These subjects resonate with the current events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They also provide the subject matter of many seventeenth-century musical works. Kate Lindsey has chosen to devote this second Baroque recital with the English ensemble Arcangelo directed by Jonathan Cohen (following Arianna in 2020, ALPHA576) to the figure of Nero. Scarlatti, Handel and Monteverdi wrote works focusing on this tragic protagonist and his entourage, including his mother Agrippina and his wives (Poppaea and Octavia). Interpreted with incredible intensity by the American mezzo-soprano, the programme features world premiere recordings of two cantatas: Alessandro Scarlatti’s La morte di Nerone (c.1690) and Bartolomeo Monari’s La Poppea (1685). Tenor Andrew Staples and soprano Nardus Williams join Kate Lindsey for duets from L’incoronazione di Poppea, including the sensual ‘Pur ti miro’.

“Some of the most wonderful music in the world” is how William Christie describes Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, noting in particular the opera’s overriding humanism and interest in questions of morality and ambition. Performed by an exceptional cast of soloists (including Sonya Yoncheva, Kate Lindsey, Stéphanie d’Oustrac…) working with a remarkable stage director, Jan Lauwers, each of the work’s characters is vividly brought to life, accompanied by a reduced ensemble featuring a large continuo section essential for capturing the unique sound world of the composer. This acclaimed production was recorded in 2018 at the prestigious Salzburg Festival.