Draghi, Il Dono della vita eterna

Eternal life set to music

Despite being the most important composer of the Habsburg court and one of the most prolific composers of the 17th century, Antonio Draghi (1635-1700) is a little-known figure and much of his work remains unpublished. Following the successful unearthing of one of his operas, El Prometeo, in 2018 at the Opéra de Dijon, Leonardo García Alarcón continues to explore the work of this musician, this time taking on his oratorio, Il Dono della Vita Eterna.

This sepolcro – a typical Viennese oratorio performed on Good Friday – depicts the battle between the forces of Heaven and Earth for the salvation of humanity, with a cast of allegorical characters: the Sin of Adam, Infernal Hatred, Divine Love, Eternal Life, etc. Draghi’s highly versatile music is deployed in service of this sacred drama. The drama is heightened by the spoken word, which acts here as a sermon in music and action.

Programme

Antonio Draghi, Il dono della vita eterna (1686)

Performance running time: approx. 2 hours

Album set to be released in 2024

Cast

Victor Sicard, baritone – Genere umano
Mariana Flores, soprano – Amore divino
Christopher Lowrey (in Dijon on 30 May, Namur on 1 June, Tourcoing on 2 June and Versailles on 3 June 2023) / Nicolò Balducci (in Ambronay on 22 September 2023), counter-tenor – Morte eterna
Fabio Trümpy, tenor – Merito di Christo
Raphaël Hardmeyer, bass – Odio infernale
Alejandro Meerapfel, bass – Dio Padre
Maud Bessard-Morandas, soprano – Grazia
Andrea Gavagnin, counter-tenor – Vita eterna

Leonardo García Alarcón, musical direction
Chœur de chambre de Namur
Cappella Mediterranea