Drama Queens

Grammyr Award winner Joyce DiDonato joins conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco for Drama Queens, an electrifying program of royal arias the 17th and 18th centuries, composed by figures as famous as Handel and Vivaldi and as little known as Orlandini and Porta. The impact achieved by Joyce DiDonato with her last Virgin Classics Album, Diva, Divo, was summed up by her triumph at the 2012 Grammyr Awards in February. Victor in the Classical Vocal Solo category, the Yankee Diva' gave a rare classical performance at the Grammy pre-telecast, receiving a standing ovation for her spectacular rendition of the final rondo from Rossini's La Cenerentola. Innovative as ever, DiDonato now presents a new themed recital, conceived in partnership with Alan Curtis. Drama Queens sees DiDonato portraying a parade of royal personages in a diversity of challenging situations and extreme states of mind. "For me, this is my most exciting recording project to date, " says Joyce DiDonato, "because it is everything I deeply adore about the world of opera. High drama, profound emotion, fearless vocal writing, time-stopping passages, historical significance and real discovery. What more could I ask for?"