The Luce e Ombra project, “Light and Shadow”, brings together our favorites among the works of the famous Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi. Moreover, the program of this album is a bit like him, all in contrast – chiaroscuro, sadness-gaiety, exuberant despair-joy – all sprinkled with distinctive oddities that pleasantly spice up his writing.

We have chosen extracts from opera, a chamber cantata as well as instrumental pieces transcribed or adapted for our training. Usually, these arias are accompanied by a string orchestra or by a pianist playing an orchestral reduction. Here, we have opted for an unusual formula which reproduces well the nuances and harmonies of each aria, while having an intimate character specific to the instruments which accompany the soloist: the flute, the cello and the baroque harp. In the 18th century, the latter sometimes replaced the harpsichord in groups of continuos and borrowed solos from various instruments, as there were few repertoires written specifically for the baroque harp.

For soprano Myriam Leblanc, this first recording is both the fulfillment of a dream and a response to the many demands of a growing audience who want to take home some of her exceptional talent and her sweet, expressive voice. The three musicians who complete the team – Antoine, Marie-Michel and myself – gave without counting in terms of passion, listening and imagination to find the best solution for particular musical passages.

I would like to thank everyone for this unrestricted commitment. We hope that this spirit of exploration and freedom that has prevailed throughout the project will shed new light on these pieces and do justice to Vivaldi’s genius.

AMOUR FOU

With the album Amour fou, soprano Myriam Leblanc and Ensemble Mirabilia take us on a journey of love via arias and songs spanning more than 800 years. From Fauré’s poetic Au bord de l’eau to Jacques Brel’s heartrending Ne me quitte pas and Barbara’s Dis quand reviendras-tu?, Leblanc has gathered a bouquet of music depicting the most human of all sentiments. Amour fou also includes an aria from Vivaldi’s cantata Amor hai vento, several old English songs by Thomas Campion, along with other vocal and instrumental treasures.

With her “resplendent vocal purity” (Le Devoir), Leblanc conveys a range of emotions that often accompany love, including turmoil, despair, and sweet sorrow. She evokes sensual love in songs whose eroticism is barely veiled by metaphors, as well as serene, contemplative love.

© Grégoire Jeay