Concerti d'Eccellenza

Arie di baule – Suitcase Arias: Singing Stars on the Road Julia Lezhneva III

Julia Lezhneva

Kammerorchester Basel

Dmitry Smirnov

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Date

Saturday, 03.10

19:30 Clock

Venue

Chiesa del Collegio Papio, Ascona

Via delle Cappelle 1, 6612 Ascona

Price Categories

CHF 85 / 70 / 55 / 40

Recital for Chamber Orchestra and Piano

About the Concert

When Julia Lezhneva sings her coloratura passages, one listens spellbound to the physical phenomenon of her vocal cords. She masters the highly virtuosic passages with seemingly effortless ease. For Julia Lezhneva, coloratura allows her to evoke emotions that words alone cannot convey. 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 the bankruptcy of opera impresarios such as George Frideric Handel in London. They usually carried so-called “suitcase arias” (Arie di baule) in their luggage—pieces that were perfectly tailored to the vocal ranges of the opera stars of that era.

Part of the deal for an opera engagement with a successful singer or a celebrated prima donna was that the composer had to include a “suitcase aria” in his opera. For this concert, Julia Lezhneva, together with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, set out to find particularly charming “suitcase arias.”

In addition to well-known arias by Handel, she has also discovered several lesser-known works by Ariosti, Galuppi, Giacomelli, Hasse, Porpora, and Porta that were extremely popular in the 18th century.

Program

6:45 p.m., Biblioteca Papio: Introduction – Concert Introduction, Davide Fersini (musician & music editor at RSI) – in Italian (German available upon 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,” an aria sung by Berenice 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,” an aria sung by Solinda 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)

Interval

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,” an aria sung by Scipione 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 (c. 1675–1755)
“Mi parla nel seno,” Merione’s aria from the opera “Farnace” (Bologna, 1731) (original version with solo oboe)

Geminiano Giacomelli (1692–1740)
“Bel cader qualor pugnando,” an aria sung by Quinto Fabio from the opera “Lucio Papirio dittatore” (Parma, 1729)

Duration: 110′ (including interval)

The Artists

Julia Lezhneva

Soprano

Julia Lezhneva’s voice is widely acclaimed: described as “angelic” (New York Times), with a “pure tone” (Opernwelt) and “flawless technique” (Guardian). Born in 1989, she studied at the Moscow Conservatory, won the Elena Obraztsova Competition at the age of 18 and opened the Rossini Opera Festival at the age of 20. She works regularly with Giovanni Antonini, I Barocchisti and Il Giardino Armonico.

Kammerorchester Basel

The Kammerorchester Basel was founded in 1984 and was awarded the Swiss Music Prize in 2019. As part of the Haydn2032 project under the baton of Giovanni Antonini, it is recording all of Haydn’s symphonies by 2032. Thanks to its international projects and wide-ranging repertoire, it ranks among the most distinguished chamber orchestras in Europe. The orchestra is characterized by a joy of playing, a spirit of discovery, and stylistic openness.

Dmitry Smirnov

Violin and Conductor

Dmitry Smirnov is an “enfant terrible”, a violinist and chamber musician with a focus on historical performance practice. Trained in St Petersburg, Lausanne and Basel, he has won prizes at the ARD Competition, the Tibor Varga Competition and the Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition. He performs with renowned orchestras, plays with Sol Gabetta and Ilya Gringolts, and serves as concertmaster in the Haydn 2032 project.

About the venue: Chiesa del Collegio Papio, Ascona

The Chiesa Santa Maria della Misericordia at the Roman Catholic secondary school “Collegio Papio” is a Renaissance-era building, renowned for its impressive altarpieces and wall paintings by Giovanni Serodine (17th century) and Marco D’Oggioni (16th century). Because of its size and excellent acoustics, the church is regularly used for concerts, including major concerts organized by classicAscona. The College’s other premises host master classes and other side events.

The College’s other premises are used for master classes and other side events.

Arrival by public transportation: Tram/bus stop nearby: Ascona, Centro
Arrival by car: Public parking available nearby: Car park Piazza Caglioni Ascona Centro: Link