Joyce DiDonato Devises Inventive Recital Variation ...

Classical Voice North America

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato brought her project In War & Peace: Harmony Through Music to the Orpheum Theatre on Nov. 30, the first of seven performances in North America.

Legions of enthusiastic fans of one of the world’s reigning divas would no doubt have settled for virtually any form of concert or recital. This, however, is a highconcept multi-media endeavor designed by stage director Ralf Pleger, enriching a selection of Baroque arias with movement as well as lighting effects and animated projections conceived by Henning Blum and Yousef Iskandar, respectively. It’s a lavishly extravagant proposition: the 21-piece Il Pomo d’Oro baroque orchestra led by Maxim Emelyanychev is on stage; there are various add-ons, including a pre-concert discussion panel; DiDonato’s gowns are by the celebrated fashion icon Vivienne Westwood.

Read the entire review via Classical Voice North America