Joyce DiDonato - Scena di Berenice 1/2- Haydn

The American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato singing "Berenice, che fai" from Haydn "Scena di Berenice". London Proms, August 25, 2009.

At the culmination of the London concert season of 1795, Haydn conducted perhaps his most significant vocal work, the dramatic scena "Berenice, che fai?" It was written specifically for the Italian soprano Brigida Giorgi Banti, who made her grand entrance at the end of the concert performing this work. It is based on the third act from Pietro Metastasio's Antigono. Beethoven would use Haydn's setting of this text as his model in 1796 for his scena "Ah! perfido," op. 65. The drama shows Berenice lamenting the death of her beloved Demetrio. She sees his ghost as it leaves for the underworld, and begs him in this arioso not to leave without her. After a short recitative, the scena ends with a dramatic aria in which Berenice wishes for her own death. The unconventional harmonic design of the scena mirrors Berenice's state of mind throughout the short drama.

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Roger Norrington.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• joyce
• didonato
• haydn
• scena
• di
• berenice
• london
• proms
• 2009
• orchestra
• age
• of
• enlightenment
• roger
• norrington

[leporello89]

As usual, superb, thanks for share it =)

[thecelticspirit]

She's greaaaaaat! And the second part is better, but you already know that ^^

[SsteinwayS]

Where do you get stuff like this?? It's great :)

[thecelticspirit]

Well, as a DiDonato's HUGE fan, I'm always looking for the things she's currently doing. I was lucky for this recording: I just came back from my Internetless place yesterday and I saw she was having a concert broadcast on BBC 3 this very night. So I recorded it... and there it is! I told you, I'm a DiDonato's guru ^^

[SsteinwayS]

Fans find a way :)