Prima! La Donna

Prima! La donna, “First, the woman,” is obviously a play on the term “prima donna,” an expression that dates back to 17th-century Italy.

And indeed , the Concert de l’Hostel-Dieu, featuring Blandine de Sansal, will bring to life the operatic repertoire of a prima donna close to Vivaldi’s heart. But they don’t just sing! They host “salons,” as illustrated in England by La Rêveuse with Benjamin Perrot and Florence Bolton, in the tradition of all those women who brought together the very best their country had to offer.

There are also female composers in Europe, as demonstrated by the Toccata e fuga ensemble and the Royal Opera of Versailles, under the direction of Sophie de Bardonnèche and Justin Taylor, along with the outstanding soloists who will be performing on both evenings.

But, away from the public eye, they also excel in the intimate sphere, the many facets of which Héloïse Gaillard’s *Amarillis* reveals to us—something we’ll have plenty of time to explore further, as the ensemble will perform two short concerts during the musical walks.

Little by little, we journey back through the centuries with the ensemble Contre le temps, which poses the question in the medieval era: *Ubi sunt mulieres?*—“Where are the women?”—a wonderful title that brings to mind Hildegard of Bingen, both composer and Doctor of the Church.

But in this spiritual realm, as has been known since ancient times, they are also prophetesses, as La Camera Chromaticasings in *The Prophecies of the Sibyls* by Roland de Lassus during the Renaissance.

It’s a joyful and dynamic program, and we’re delighted that Les Barbarins Fourchus are introducing everyone to musical creativity in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Valloire; after all, it’s their programs for children that are shaping the audiences of tomorrow.