Les Trois Contre-Ténors!

The return of the great virtuosity competition of the castrati

Duration: 1h40 without interval

In Baroque Europe, castrati held an extraordinary position: that of the first “stars” in music history. Almost all Italian and trained in the conservatories of Naples, they dedicated themselves to an opera career or to serving the most prestigious princely chapels, including the Vatican and the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles, often combining both roles. In numerous lyrical productions or sacred oratorios, from Vienna to London, castrati systematically held the title role (in Rome, all female roles) and several important parts, creating a real competition on stage. It was then an escalation of virtuosity and emotions between the singers, with the audience acting as arbiter, both through their demands for encores and the lavish gifts offered to the most adored. Opera was also regularly supplemented with “suitcase arias” that the most in-demand castrati brought with them to shine. With a trio as extraordinary as that formed by Maayan Licht, Théo Imart, and Dennis Orellana, the audience is invited to a high-flying competition: Baroque to the highest degree, the emulation between these primi uomi was the attraction of Italian operas, and here we see the most thrilling vocal dynamic revived, through the voices of three countertenors, for one evening in the glory of the castrati.