Mozart: Venga pur, minacci e frema (from Mitridate, rè di Ponto)

In the line of a rich and eclectic discography, Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s new recital, recorded with leading North American classical and baroque orchestra Les Violons du Roy, is devoted to the first decades of classical opera era. As always, Marie-Nicole Lemieux has combined hits of the repertoire (Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro) with much less renowned pieces to which she gives new light, such as Graun’s 'Montezuma', Gluck’s 'Iphigénie en Aulide' or young Mozart’s 'Mitridate'.

The warm and sensitive voice of Marie-Nicole Lemieux as well as the very precise and specific rhythm provided by Bernard Labadie’s orchestra perfectly combine to draw a complete range of musical colours.

In this double album, the greatest vocal artists of the present day offer their own vision of the singing of their legendary predecessors.

The extraordinary adulation accorded to castrati during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is still today one of the most fascinating phenomena in the history of music. During this golden age of the castrato, these male singers endowed with high voices that combined incredible refinement, amazing power and superhuman virtuosity took the musical world by storm. The whole of Europe was overcome by infatuation for these vocal prodigies. In the absence of the castrati themselves, the singers of today face the formidable challenge of reviving their repertoire. Both male and female singers now undertake the task of bringing back to life the wondrous voices of their androgynous forebears, in music that is by turns unsettling, deeply moving and of a dizzying virtuosity.

A 2CD-Compilation for the Price of 1 + 1 Bonus DVD - Digipack Format

In David’s relatively short career, he has already established himself a name for his unique interpretation and presentation of Mozart’s works. In 2008 he caused a sensation in Paris by performing Mozart’s entire keyboard sonatas (all 18 of them) in one marathon day.

On Greilsammer’s 2nd recording for Sony Classical he explores his “infinite love” for Mozart- directing his ensemble “L’Orchestra Chambre de Genève” through a varied programme of the composer’s early works, including the “Jeunehomme” piano concerto (which Greilsammer plays/directs from the keyboard), Symphony No. 23 and an early castrato aria from „Mitridate” opera sung by countertenor Lawrence Zazzo, amongst other works.

Continuing Greilsammer’s philosophy of combining music from different eras to provide new and enlightened listening experiences – the addition of Denis Schuler’s world premiere recording “In-Between” serves as a contemporary mirror on Mozart’s early works.

Greilsammer himself explains the concept and title: “This recording presents a voyage that invites the listener to meet a Mozart we never expected: ambiguous, uncertain, overcome by fear and lost between distant worlds.”