Karina Gauvin (Alcina), soprano
Lucy Crowe (Morgana), soprano
Elizabeth DeShong (Bradamante), mezzo-soprano
Paula Murrihy (Ruggiero), mezzo-soprano
Alek Shrader (Oronte), tenor
Wojtek Gierlach (Melisso), bass
Program:
Handel/Alcina, HWV 34
London’s Handel specialists The English Concert, directed by conductor Harry Bicket, returns to Cal Performances with a concert performance of Handel’s Alcina. An allegorical fantasy with love triangles and mistaken and misrepresented identities, Alcina takes place on an enchanted island where discarded lovers are transformed into wild beasts and trees. Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin, one of the world’s leading Baroque interpreters, makes her Cal Performances debut singing the title role, portraying Handel’s sorceress; she is joined by an international cast of soloists in their Cal Performances debuts: soprano Lucy Crowe as Morgana, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Bradamante, mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy as Ruggiero, tenor Alek Shrader as Oronte, and bass Wojtek Gierlach as Melisso.
