FESTIVAL DE FROVILLE " FRANCESINA 2.0" - SOPHIE JUNKER

Elisabeth Duparc, born in France, trained in Italy, found fame in London. "La Francesina" was one of Handel?s last muses, as he abandoned the splendor of Italian opera for the spiritual elevation of oratorio. He composed major roles for her, mainly "nightingale" arias. Most of her contemporaries praised the timbre and agility of her warbling voice. In this program, which ranges from opera to oratorio, Belgian soprano Sophie Junker pays tribute to "La Francesina" and explores her decade-long collaboration with Handel. She will be the Nuova Francesina, responding to the Duparc with equal energy in her sumptuous repertoire.