Baroque(n) HeartsPress Photos

Confessions from Baroque[n] Hearts

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“Dido’s Lament and the aria Ah, Belinda are my go-to operatic breakup songs. They permeate my soul with their dulcet, heavy tones and musical ornaments reminiscent of sobs. Listening to these songs makes me want to grab my friends and regale them with stories of my most recent heartbreak as I drown my sorrows in a tub of chocolate ice cream. Like the chocolate, Dido’s words are dark, rich, and full of depth while still infusing our hearts with sweetness. The audience should come experience One World Symphony’s Baroque[n] Hearts because listening to people complain about their failed love lives is boring, but watching musicians pour out representations of universal human grief in waves of orchestral sound is the epitome of sophistication. Consider this the Baroque version of Taylor Swift.” — Eva Sun (Dido, Purcell)

“Soaring melody and fervent atonality; as I sing these impassioned songs I cannot help but think of my own lavender pillow that sits on my bed. ‘It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ I take off my cap and sing to you.” — Shauna McCarthy (Hindemith)

“Lascia ch’io pianga is about a young girl in love, trapped...mourning her captivity. The melody reminds me of every heartbreak I’ve ever had, and yet it strangely makes me feel happy, like the relief of a toxin leaving the body. It also makes me want to sit in my bed with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and cry until the pint is gone. And then cry because it’s gone.” — Corrine Byrne (Almirena, Handel)

“Se Pieta is a prayer... A prayer of a strong and powerful woman who finds herself in this moment lost for words... vulnerable... aching... The music moves me on many levels. I find it one of the most sophisticated arias I have known....makes me think of a rich blue silk that is moved by the wind.... it brings me back to my dormitory room in Moscow where I first heard it, and have been in love with this ever since... Thank you Sung Jin for programming this sublime, deserved to be heard more frequently aria, and for the opportunity to prolong its life.” — Irina Mozyleva (Cleopatra, Handel)

“For me, there is a sinuous beauty to the music of Bach’s cantata that can’t be ignored. The text speaks of finding complete satisfaction in being one with the eternal. ‘Ich habe genug.’ ‘I have enough.’ Nothing offered in this world brings the same completeness as ‘receiving the savior into my open arms.’ In fact, as the piece develops, the longing for a literal, physical, union with the savior becomes the dominant theme. Bach responds to that longing in a remarkable way, intertwining voice and solo instruments in a dance of sensuous beauty. Reaching for the divine in music of almost heretical beauty, with death only a joyous climax.” — Duncan Hartman (Bach)

“The dilemma of secrets. Should I keep them? Reveal them? Do my actions give them away? Do I feel special holding on to them? If I release them is there ultimate relief or enlightenment? Do I feel empty without them? The pop song is expansive — I feel that time is sort of augmented and filled with expectation — but doesn’t really give anything away. Will the neo-baroque arrangement reveal more? Or will it make the secrets ever more delicate, precious, restrained?” — Amy Hughlett (One Republic)

“Lascia ch’io pianga: This simple melody is hauntingly beautiful. As we hear the halting phrases, we collectively gasp for air. Please — somebody — rescue me from this dark place!”

“Se pieta: I am beset by conflicting emotions: a desire for revenge, self pity, fear. With plaintive phrases, I beg for mercy. I recall a time in my life when faced with a deeply painful decision. Oh, how I longed for someone to raise me from despair and guide my feet.” — Laura Farmer (Almirena and Cleopatra, Handel)

“In this intense contemporary world of high technology we are always on the run. Living in big crazy cities, it’s difficult to find some time to stop, look around, and see beauty. Baroque music for me is that opportunity to feel and explore that simple beauty, which is so unique in this modern life. It’s like a time travel into a magical world. I love singing Dido — she is a beautiful and strong character with an incredibly beautiful and expressive music!” — Anna Yelizarova (Dido, Purcell)

“Having spent many evenings strolling through Manhattan humming this song, doing my best to match all the intervals in the opening cello sequence — on the first try, I now surrender my duty to the orchestra. I don’t need another story...but I often want one. My sleeves are stained red.” — Shauna McCarthy (One Republic)


Sunday, March 10, 2013
Holy Apostles Church
Manhattan

Monday, March 11, 2013
Holy Apostles Church
Manhattan