Marc Minkowski returns to Les Arts to direct Händel's 'Alcina' with Les Musiciens du Louvre

'Les Arts és Barroc' 

Marc Minkowski returns to Les Arts to conduct 'Alcina', by Händel, with Les Musiciens du Louvre 

• The highly regarded French conductor and his period instrument orchestra present one of the great operas of the Baroque repertoire.
• The outstanding mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená leads a cast featuring top figures from the international opera circuit

Valencia (February 13, 2023). The highly sought-after conductor Marc Minkowski returns to Les Arts on February 19 at 6:00 p.m. to conduct the concert version of Handel's 'Alcina' with Les Musiciens du Louvre.

This is the third visit of the renowned maestro to the Valencian opera house, where he conducted Mozart's 'Mitridate, re di Ponto' in 2020 and four memorable performances of 'Les contes d'Hoffmann' with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in 2022.

On this occasion, the French conductor visits the Main Hall with his prestigious orchestra of early instruments and a cast of leading voices from the baroque repertoire, headed by the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená.

An indispensable figure in musical interpretation, as well as a renowned Handel scholar, Marc Minkowski is in charge of opening the 'Les Arts és Barroc' program with this exquisite fantasy opera, considered one of the great masterpieces of the German composer.

The musical opulence of the score, with arias of breathtaking beauty and expressive power and the spectacular stage effects, combined with a good dose of love, jealousy, confusion and entanglements, made 'Alcina' one of Handel's greatest successes, the last before he devoted himself to the oratorio genre.

One of the greatest attractions of the work is its main character, Alcina, the malicious sorceress who uses her magic to make men fall in love and turns them into wild animals when she gets tired of them.

Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená makes her Les Arts debut in this role. Hailed by critics as one of the great voices of the repertoire, she is an essential performer for conductors such as Simon Rattle, John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Marc Minkowski himself.

Also making their debut at Les Arts are the Italian mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus, recently awarded the Händel Prize of the city of Halle, who takes on the role of Ruggero, Alcina's prisoner, while the emerging Elizabeth DeShong, recognized as one of the most intelligent and versatile mezzo-sopranos of her generation, embodies Bradamante, the prisoner's lover.

The role of Morgana is sung by American soprano Erin Morley, whom the Les Arts audience may remember for her excellent Gilda in 'Rigoletto' in 2012. For his part, Valerio Contaldo, an indispensable tenor in baroque opera, plays Oronte, the sorceress's servant.

Countertenor Alois Mühlbacher (Oberto) and bass Alex Rosen (Melisso) complete the cast.

The programming of 'Les Arts és Barroc' will continue in the month of March with performances at the Teatre Martín i Soler de La Tendresa (22), Concerto 1700 (23), Capella de Ministrers (29) and Al Ayre Español (31).