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 Bienvenue à Philippe et Jérôme
This was how I “met” Philippe Jaroussky. And curiously, Philippe “met” Apollo’s Fire the same way – through our videos on the internet. Based on this long-distance acquaintance with our ensemble, he enthusiastically offered to set aside four weeks of his time to tour with Apollo’s Fire in 2011. So Apollo’s Fire presents this recital as a kind of hors d’oeuvre – to be followed by a fuller meal in 2011 when Philippe returns to perform with the ensemble. Philippe and Jerôme call this program and its related CD recording “OPIUM” – a title they chose because most of the songs are dream-like, evoking an ambiance of “escapism and intoxication.” This is an intensely personal repertoire that draws us into the smoky, heady world where emotions reign supreme. As Philippe rightly observed, this repertoire, like baroque music, is melody in the service of text. The music bends itself and changes its colors according to the words and ideas being expressed. In true historical-performance tradition, Philippe has dug up some neglected and forgotten gems, which he introduces to the modern public in this program. These are woven alongside some much beloved art songs of France, such as “A Chloris” by Reynaldo Hahn – a composer whom Philippe calls the “Vivaldi of French art song” because of his accessible and direct connection with the audience. Apollo’s Fire is honored to introduce these two extraordinary artists to Cleveland – and proud that Cleveland is only the second city in the U.S. to hear them in recital, following the New York performance at Carnegie Hall two days ago. It is unlikely that any of us will have another opportunity to hear Philippe Jaroussky in such an intimate setting. So this evening, let us allow ourselves to be intoxicated. Jeannette Sorrell
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Just one year ago, my good friend Sergei Babayan and I finished a rehearsal in Mixon Hall, and he excitedly took out his laptop to show me a video on the internet. The video was a performance by an astonishing young countertenor – an artist of a stature that the early-music world has rarely seen. I was struck by the singer’s sensitive command of vocal colors and his consummate musicianship, which seemed to belong to a much older artist.