Arie di baule - Suitcase arias: Singstars on the road Julia Lezhneva III

Description

When Julia Lezhneva sings her coloraturas, one listens spellbound to the physical phenomenon of her vocal chords. She masters the highly virtuoso parts with seemingly effortless ease. For Julia Lezhneva, coloratura allows her to express emotions that words alone cannot. These arias were composed for prima donnas and castrati, the superstars of the Baroque era, comparable to today's pop icons.

Their high fees often led to opera entrepreneurs such as George Frideric Handel in London going bankrupt. They usually carried so-called suitcase arias (arie di baule) in their luggage - pieces that were perfectly tailored to the individual vocal ranges of the opera stars of the time.

Part of the deal of an opera engagement with a successful singer or a celebrated prima donna was that the composer had to incorporate the suitcase aria into his opera. For this concert, Julia Lezhneva and the Basel Chamber Orchestra have set out in search of particularly appealing "suitcase arias".

In addition to well-known arias by Handel, she has also discovered a number of unknown works by Ariosti, Galuppi, Giacomelli, Hasse, Porpora and Porta, which were extremely popular in the 18th century.

18.45, Biblioteca Papio: Introduzione - concert introduction, Davide Fersini (musician & music editor RSI) - in Italian (German on request)

Julia Lezhneva, soprano
Artist in Residence 2026
Basel Chamber Orchestra
Dmitry Smirnov, violin and conductor

Concept, musicological research, score edition: Giovanni Andrea Sechi

Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto grosso in B flat major op. 3 no. 2 HWV 313

Attilio Ariosti (1666-1729)
"Mi sento intorno al cor", Berenice's aria from the opera "Lucio Vero" (London 1727)

Nicola Porpora (1686-1768)
"Timida pastorella", Adelaide's aria from the opera "Adelaide" (Rome 1723)

Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto grosso in D minor op. 3 no. 5 HWV 316

Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785)
"Son qual nave esposta ai venti", Solinda's aria from the opera "L'inganno tradito dall'amore" (Vienna 1735)

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783)
"Se fra turbini", Attalo's aria from the opera "Attalo, re di Bitinia" (Naples 1728)

Intermission

Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto grosso in F major op. 3 no. 4 HWV 315

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783)
"Se grato esser mi vuoi", Fulvia's aria from the opera "Ezio" (Naples 1730)

Geminiano Giacomelli (1692-1740)
"Vaghe luci voi sapeste", Scipione's aria from the opera "Scipione in Cartagine Nuova" (Piacenza 1730)

Georg Friederich Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto grosso in B minor op. 6 no. 12 HWV 330

Giovanni Porta (ca. 1675-1755)
"Mi parla nel seno", Merione's aria from the opera "Farnace" (Bologna 1731) (original version with oboe solo)

Geminiano Giacomelli (1692-1740)
"Bel cader qualor pugnando", aria of Quinto Fabio from the opera "Lucio Papirio dittatore" (Parma 1729)

Highlights

• Performance by Julia Lezhneva and Basel Chamber Orchestra
• Features rare and unknown 18th-century suitcase arias
• Includes a concert introduction in Italian by Davide Fersini

General Information

The event takes place at Collegio Papio in Ascona, Switzerland. Julia Lezhneva, Artist in Residence 2026, performs arias by Handel and other 18th-century composers, accompanied by the Basel Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Smirnov.

Location

Via delle Cappelle 1, 6612 Ascona, Schweiz

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