Prima Donna

The daughter of a French wigmaker established in Mantua, mezzo-soprano Anna Giraud met Antonio Vivaldi there. Very quickly, an artistic and personal relationship developed between the young singer and the musician, who began her training before continuing it in Venice, at the Ospedale della Pietà.

Fascinated by the woman who would become one of the great prima donnas of Venice, the Red Priest composed around ten roles for her from the very beginning of their collaboration. Nicknamed "l'Anima del Prete Rosso" by the Venetians, Anna Giraud established herself as the preferred interpreter of operatic works such as Griselda, Orlando, Alcina, and Bajazet, as well as numerous sacred works.

Less virtuosic than the great castrati of her time, she captivated audiences with other qualities: a deeply expressive voice, a tessitura naturally inclined towards the lower register, undeniable charisma, and genuine acting talent, praised notably by Goldoni. Their relationship, finally, fueled rumors and fascination at the time, a mixture of sincere admiration and a whiff of scandal surrounding the master and his muse.

Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu
Franck-Emmanuel Comte, harpsichord & direction
Blandine de Sansal, mezzo-soprano
Reynier Guerrero, 1st violin
Florian Verhaegen, violin
Véronique Bouilloux, violin
André Costa, violin
Sayaka Shinoda, violin
Raphaëlle Pacault, violin
Martyna Grabowska, viola
Aurélie Métivier, viola
Aude Walker-Viry, cello
Clara Fellmann, cello
Nicolas Janot, double bass
Morgan Marquié, theorbo