Join mezzo soprano Nancy Holt for this fascinating lecture recital exploring the enduring legacy of the castrato tradition and its profound impact on the development of the mezzo-soprano voice. Tracing the evolution of vocal roles from the Baroque era to the present day, the recital examines how the disappearance of the castrati reshaped operatic casting and gave rise to some of the mezzo-soprano’s most compelling repertoire.
Nancy is the 2024/25 recipient of The Musicians' Company Saloman Seelig Award, a Help Musicians Sybil Tutton Opera Award holder and a Countess of Munster Trust Award winner. She is also a trained dancer, having studied ballet, modern, and tap dance for over ten years.
Programme:
PART 1
“Disprezzata regina” – L’incoronazione di Poppea, Claudio Monteverdi, 1643
“Ombra mai fu” – Serse, George Frideric Handel, 1738
“Sta nell’Ircana” – Alcina, George Frideric Handel, 1735
“Bending to the throne of Glory” – Susanna, George Frideric Handel, 1749
“Voi che sapete” – Le nozze di Figaro, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786
Extracts
“Parto, parto” – La clemenza di Tito, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
“Torna di Tito” – La clemenza di Tito, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
PART 2
“Una voce poco fa” – Il barbiere di Siviglia, Gioachino Rossini, 1816
“Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?” – Roméo et Juliette, Charles Gounod, 1867
“Cœur sans amour” – Cécile Chaminade, 1899
“Must the winter come so soon?” – Vanessa, Samuel Barber, 1958
“Puppet, why so?” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Benjamin Britten, 1960
“Don’t say a word” – Dead Man Walking, Jake Heggie, 2000