Short summary
A retired American countertenor, Jeffrey Himmelhoch, is planning an unconventional opera in honor of the famous castrato Farinelli. During rehearsals under the direction of the young director Rosie Blackwell, Jeff is constantly dissatisfied with the production conditions. He wants to combine the most beautiful pieces of baroque opera with Farinelli's story, while Rosie raises modern questions about gender and identity by pointing out that "art has no gender!".
Jeff has invited the young countertenor Lukas Dahlberg for the role of the young Farinelli, but is still desperately looking for a mezzo-soprano with an exceptional voice. The mysterious Maddalena Cigno emerges as a possible solution, but remains a mystery.
Programme
George Frideric Händel (1685-1759)
Rinaldo: ouverture
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Confitebor tibi domine: Confessio
Antonio Vivaldi
Farnace: Gelido in ogni vena
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Jephtha: How dark, O Lord, are thy decrees
Amadigi di Gaula: Desterò dall'empia
Agostino Steffani (1654-1728)
Niobe, regina di Tebe: Amami, e vedrai
George Frideric Händel (1685-1759)
Orlando Furioso: Sol da te, mio dolce amore
Semele: Avert these omens!
ah me! Too late I now repent
oh, terror and astonishment
Ariodante: Battaglia
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Stabat mater: Quando corpus
George Frideric Händel (1685-1759)
Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno: Lascia la spina
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
L'incoronazione di Poppea: Pur ti miro
Their
Master's
Voice
Storyline
The curtain rises on the first stage rehearsal of a new opera project - in this case a rather unconventional pasticcio conceived by a retired American countertenor named Jeffrey Himmelhoch in honor of his lifelong idol, the famous 18th-century superstar castrato Farinelli.
During the rehearsal, which is led by the young director Rosie Blackwell, Jeff is constantly unhappy about the circumstances and complains about the production conditions imposed by the inviting opera house, as he has already experienced much better times as a world star in the eighties and nineties.
While Jeff tries to combine the most beautiful pieces of music from baroque opera history with the personal tragic, heroic and unique story of his singing idol Farinelli, Rosie tries to raise current questions about gender and identity in this context by pointing out that "art has no gender!".
For his show, Jeff has invited a young countertenor named Lukas Dahlberg to portray the life of the young castrato, but also searches hopelessly for a mezzo-soprano with a voice high enough to match Farinelli's vocal range. Since such voices can only be tracked down with the help of miracles, we will never really find out how the magical appearance of the legendary Maddalena Cigno, the singer who saves "Their Master's Voice", can be understood or explained.
"Ovations, cheers, applause, encores, and that for three quarters of an hour", "Endless applause", "Vienna in Bartoli fever" or "Victory run for La Bartoli": just some of the many headlines about the summer Rossini Mania, which caused a sensation at the Vienna State Opera in 2022 with bel canto at the highest level. Bartoli's second great love, however, is baroque opera, and it is precisely this that she will be returning to the Haus am Ring for a second guest performance at the beginning of July 2024. She will once again be supported by the Musiciens du Prince - Monaco, the orchestra she founded and which performs on period instruments at the opera in Monte Carlo, where she is Artistic Director.
Bartoli: "The fireworks we set off with Rossini Mania will be hard to beat. But with support from Hollywood and a baroque opera frenzy like the one that swept Europe in the 18th century - with the music capital of Naples at the forefront - we will try to (ba)rock the State Opera again in 2024."
Support from Hollywood? This refers to John Malkovich, with whom Bartoli will perform Their Masterʼs Voice as part of the guest performance. Malkovich, a fascinating performer of complex characters, is also an extremely resonant name in opera circles: he and director Michael Sturminger caused a worldwide sensation with projects about Casanova and Da Ponte, in which live music, poetry, acting and stage performance merged into a unique performance tailored to the participants. Their Master's Voice, a new project by the duo about baroque singing stars, is currently being created in collaboration with Cecila Bartoli and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
