Coinciding with Women’s History Month, Music of the Baroque Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer returns for "Classical Heroines," a fascinating program, showcasing Baroque specialist Amanda Forsythe and exploring the tension between 18th-century operatic heroines’ traditional roles as wives, girlfriends, and lovers and the undeniable sheer power of the female voice. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20th at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21st at The Harris Theater in Millennium Park.
“‘Classical Heroines’ starts with the overture to an opera about Agrippina, whose claim on the title of heroine is dubious,” says Kraemer. “Handel was at his youthful best in this powerful introduction to what I believe to be one of his greatest operas. Haydn’s 'Scena di Berenice,' written for Madame Banti, a contemporary prima donna who inspired him greatly, is a microcosm of his abilities in this dramatic genre. Alceste was indeed a heroine who sacrificed herself to save her husband. I have selected some quirky orchestral numbers plus 'Gentle Morpheus,' one of Handel’s most beautiful sleep airs. The archetypal heroine is Dido, Queen of Carthage, whose famous lament puts Purcell at the head of early composers in this form, with its powerful simplicity and directness. And finally, Cleopatra, the ambitious heroine of Handel’s 'Giulio Cesare,' rejoices in her freedom at the end of the opera with 'Da tempeste,' an aria of buoyant gaiety. Amanda Forsythe has all the necessary attributes to bring all these women to life through these vivid portraits. She has a unique sense of drama in her performance, so expect to be blown away!
So how does Haydn’s Symphony No. 11 fit into all this? It offers a break from the heroines’ vocal drama, and this little masterpiece is in a world of its own, youthful in its energy and with a first movement of breath-taking beauty. It offers a glimpse of Haydn’s genius which came to flower with his mature symphonies.”
The “Classical Heroines” program includes the following works:
• George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759): Overture to “Agrippina.”
The opera “Agrippina” tells the story of the mother of Emperor Nero, as she plots the downfall of Claudius and the installation of her son as emperor. The overture is known for its spirited allegro.
• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809): “Scena di Berenice,” featuring Amanda Forsythe.
This aria was written for one of the most famous prima donnas of the day and is considered one of the great 18th-century concert arias.
• George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759): Incidental music and songs from “Alceste” featuring Amanda Forsythe.
“Alceste” is considered a semi-opera and is the only complete theater project ever attempted by Handel. Handel made a point of getting to know singers and writing for their voices.
• Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695): “Chacony” in G Minor.
Purcell’s “Chacony” is an innovative take on the routine musical form of theme and variations, incorporating surprising dissonance and entrancing sonority.
• Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695): "Dido's Lament" from “Dido and Aeneas,” featuring Amanda Forsythe.
“Dido and Aeneas” is Purcell's only opera and the only true English opera from the Baroque period. Sung in English, Dido’s heartbreaking lament is one of the most famous opera arias performed today.
• Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809): Symphony No. 11.
This is a rare performance of one of the earliest works in the genre by the “father of the symphony.”
• George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759): "Da tempeste" from “Giulio Cesare," featuring Amanda Forsythe.
After being told Julius Caeser is dead, Cleopatra learns he is alive. She celebrates with a display of vocal pyrotechnics in “Da tempeste,” a fiendishly difficult aria with a wide melodic range and a torrent of ornaments.
Tickets
Music of the Baroque presents “Classical Heroines,” conducted by Nicholas Kraemer featuring Baroque specialist Amanda Forsythe (soprano)
• 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20, The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
• 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 21, The Harris Theater in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Dr., Chicago.
Tickets: $25-$95. For tickets or more info, including COVID-19 protocol updates, visit www,baroque.org/heroines.
Students are able to attend any of Music of the Baroque’s performances at the Harris Theater during the 2021-2022 season free of charge. Students can reserve up to two complimentary tickets per valid student ID by visiting www.baroque.org or calling 312.551.1414. Student tickets will also be available at the Harris Theater box office starting two hours prior to the performance.
“Classical Heroines” will also be offered On Demand beginning March 25 and through April 25. Viewing passes are $25 and are available at baroque.org/heroines.
Shows remaining in Music of the Baroque’s 2021-2022 Season with two programs conducted by Music of the Baroque Music Director Dame Jane Glover: “Easter Oratorio” (April 10-11) and “The Brothers Haydn” (May 8-9). For more information visit www.baroque.org.
COVID-19 Protocols
Both the North Shore Center and the Harris require wearing of masks and proof of vaccination. For more information, visit northshorecenter.org and harristheaterchicago.org respectively.
About Music of the Baroque
Under the direction of internationally acclaimed British conductor Dame Jane Glover, Music of the Baroque occupies a special place in the rich cultural life of Chicago. Long recognized as one of the region’s top classical groups, Music of the Baroque’s professional chorus and orchestra is one of the leading ensembles in the country devoted to the performance of eighteenth-century works.
Over the past five decades, Music of the Baroque has presented premiere performances of many early masterpieces, including Monteverdi’s operas and 1610 Vespers, Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Day of Judgment,” Mozart’s “Idomeneo,” and numerous Handel operas and oratorios. The ensemble has drawn particular praise throughout its history for its performances of the major choral and orchestral works of J. S. Bach and Handel, Mozart, and Haydn.
Opera News calls Music of the Baroque “one of Chicago’s musical glories” and the Chicago Sun-Times writes, “Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra may be the big guys on the local classical music scene, but in terms of sheer quality of performance…Music of the Baroque inhabits the same stratosphere.”
Music of the Baroque draws audiences from across the Chicago metropolitan area, performing regularly at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, as well as at intimate Chicago and suburban churches. Listeners across the country enjoy the work of Music of the Baroque through radio broadcasts and recordings on 98.7 WFMT Radio.
Through its "Strong Voices" program, Music of the Baroque conducts arts education to support and enhance music education programs at Chicago public high schools. Music of the Baroque is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. For more information about Music of Baroque visit www.baroque.org.
Biographies
Amanda Forsythe (Soprano)
Forsythe, highly praised for her performances on both sides of the Atlantic, sang Euridice on the recording of Charpentier’s “La descente d'Orphée aux enfers” with the Boston Early Music Festival which won the 2015 GRAMMY AWARD for Best Opera Recording. Her highly acclaimed CDs have included her début solo album of Handel arias "The Power of Love" with Apollo’s Fire on the Avie label. She recently toured with the outstanding French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, performing works based on the Orfeo myth, and subsequently recorded the role of Euridice in a new edition of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” for the ERATO label.
Equally at home on the concert platform and on the opera stage, Forsythe’s major engagements have included Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the Boston Symphony under Andris Nelsons and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Susanna Mälkki, Handel’s “Sileti venti” and “Laudate pueri” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Nicholas Kraemer, “Messiah” with Seattle Symphony, Bach's “Magnificat” and concert performances as Marzelline in Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Sir Antonio Pappano. Following performances as Amour in Gluck’s “Orphée” at London’s Royal Opera House, she participated in tours of this work, and of Mozart's “C-Minor Mass” and “Requiem” with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra under Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
Forsythe is a regular soloist with the highly acclaimed baroque ensembles Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO), Apollo’s Fire, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Pacific Musicworks, the Boston Early Music Festival, and the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra. She sang the title role of Teseo with PBO at the Tanglewood and Mostly Mozart Festivals under Nicholas McGegan, and made her début at the Oregon Bach Festival in Bach’s “Mass in B-Minor” and “Magnificat” under Matthew Halls.
Forsythe made her USA stage début with the Boston Early Music Festival, where her many roles have included Poppea and Drusilla in Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea,” Niobe and Manto (recording) in Steffani's “Niobe, regina di Tebe,” Aglaure in Lully’s “Psyché,” Venus in Blow’s “Venus and Adonis,” Pallas in Eccles’ “The Judgment of Paris,” Isabelle in Campra’s “Le Carnaval de Venise,” Serpina in Pergolesi’s “La serva padrona” and Edilia in Handel’s “Almira, Königin von Castilien,” for which she received rave reviews. Having made her début at Seattle Opera as Iris in Handel’s “Semele,” Forsythe returned there to sing Mozart’s “Pamina Die Zauberflöte.” Forsythe’s operatic repertoire also includes Poppea Handel’s “Agrippina,” the title role in Handel’s “Partenope,” Dorinda in Handel’s “Orlando,” Amenaide in Rossini’s “Tancredi,” Bastienne in Mozart’s “Bastien und Bastienne,” Ninfa/Proserpina in Gluck’s “Orfeo,” Amore in Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria,” Oberto in Handel’s “Alcina,” Dafne Apollo in Rinuccini’s “Dafne,” Atalanta in Handel’s “Xerxes,” Vagaus in Vivaldi’s “Juditha Triumphans” and roles in Rameau’s “Les Indes Galantes” and Purcell’s “The Fairy Queen.”
She made her European operatic début in the role of Corinna in Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims” at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, subsequently returning to perform Rosalia in Rossini’s L’equivoco stravagante, and Jemmy in his “Guillaume Tell,” described by one critic as “…the best singing of this crucial part I’ve ever encountered...” At her invitation, Forsythe joined the distinguished American mezzo soprano Joyce di Donato in a performance of Bellini duets in the festival’s “Malibran” recital.
Major European opera house engagements have included Dalinda in Handel’s “Ariodante” in Geneva and Munich, and Barbarina in Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro,” Manto in Steffani’s “Niobe, regina di Tebe,” Amour in Gluck’s “Orphée “and Nannetta in Verdi’s “Falstaff” at London’s Royal Opera House. Her performance as Nannetta was described by Gramophone Magazine as “meltingly beautiful.”
Recent major engagements include her return to the Chicago Symphony to sing Schubert's “Mass No 6 in E-Flat Major” under Riccardo Muti and Handel’s “Messiah” under Matthew Halls, “Alexander’s Feast” with Tafelmusik, Iole in Handel’s “Hercules” with the Handel and Haydn Society and performances with Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Musicworks, the Kymi Sinfonietta, and Charlotte Symphony. Recent opera engagements include a début at the Rome Opera as Pamina from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” and Angelica in Steffani's “Orlando Furioso” at the 2019 Boston Early Music Festival.
Forsythe’s recordings include Venus in “Venus and Adonis,” Aglaure in Lully’s “Psyché” and La Grande Pretresse in Lully’s “Thésée” with the Boston Early Music Festival (all for CPO), Manto in Steffani's “Niobe” with BEMF (Erato), the title role in Handel’s “Teseo” with Philharmonia Baroque (PBO’s own label), Bach's “St. John Passion” and “Messiah” with Apollo’s Fire (Avie), Dorinda Handel’s “Orlando” with Early Music Vancouver (ATMA) and “Haydn’s Creation” with Boston Baroque (Linn). She also sings on the DVD recordings of the Pesaro productions of L'equivoco stravagante and Guillaume Tell as well as Manto in the Royal Opera production of Steffani’s “Niobe (Opus Arte).” Her latest CD of Steffani duets with the Boston Early Music Festival was awarded the Diapason d'Or in January 2018.
Nicholas Kraemer (Guest Conductor)
Music of the Baroque’s principal guest conductor since 2002, Nicholas Kraemer began his career as a harpsichordist, quickly moving from playing continuo at the back of the orchestra to directing from the harpsichord at the front. His repertory widened in the 1970s, taking in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as well as the Baroque. In 1978, he formed Raglan Baroque Players.
Kraemer has held the positions of artistic director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the London Bach Orchestra, and the Bath International Festival; permanent guest conductor of the Manchester Camerata; principal guest conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Musikkollegium Winterthur; and associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He was the first music director of Opera 80, now English Touring Opera.
Appearing worldwide with many prestigious ensembles, Nicholas Kraemer has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic; Rotterdam Philharmonic; Bergen Philharmonic; BBC Philharmonic; BBC National Orchestra of Wales; The Hallé Orchestra; Gothenburg Symphony; City of Birmingham, Detroit, Toronto, West Australian, and Colorado symphony orchestras; and the Minnesota Orchestra. In addition, he has directed specialist ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Philharmonia Baroque, and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. He has conducted the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, and Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan). He will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of baroque masterpieces in March 2020.
Kraemer’s opera engagements have taken him to Paris, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Geneva, and Marseilles with repertoire ranging from Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” and “L’incoronazione di Poppea” to 19th- and 20-century works including Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos,” Britten’s “Albert Herring,” Noye’s “Fludde,” Paul Bunyan and Stephen Oliver’s “Tom Jones.” He has conducted many Handel operas including “Arianna in Creta,” “Lotario,” “Tolomeo,” “Arminio,” “Ariodante,” “Il pastor fido,” “Rinaldo” and “Orlando” as well as the major Mozart operas. He has conducted “The Magic Flute” and Handel’s “Jephtha” at English National Opera, “Agrippina” for Theater Aachen, “Le nozze di Figaro” for Den Nye Opera, “Idomeneo” for Grange Park Opera, “La finta giardiniera” at the Buxton Festival and “Ariodante” for Scottish Opera.
Among his recordings are several discs of Vivaldi concertos with City of London Sinfonia for Naxos; Locatelli concerti grossi, Tartini violin concertos, and concertos by Durante, Pergolesi, and Leo with Elizabeth Wallfisch and Raglan Baroque Players for Hyperion; Handel’s “Rodelinda” for Virgin Classics; “Handel Great Oratorio Duets”with Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for BIS; and works by Thea Musgrave with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for Collins Classics. He has contributed to several feature films, most notably as Baroque music director for “The Madness of King George.”