The Power of the Stars
Alessandro Stradella’s rarely performed serenata
Stradella–Corelli
Myriam Arbouz, soprano
Kajsa Dahlbäck, soprano
Katariina Heikkilä, alto
Mats Lillhannus, tenor
George Parris, bass
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
In January 2022, the concert The Power of the Stars was supposed to be heard in the Nordic countries' only Houses of Nobility in Stockholm and Helsinki. Due to the restrictions, the Helsinki concert took place as a stream and the Stockholm concert was moved to September.
Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682) is known not only for his rich music but also for his adventurous life. Stradella composed the serenata “La forza delle stelle" (The Power of the Stars) in the 1670s when he was a part of Queen Christina’s (1626-1689) Academy of Arcadia in Rome. Christina, who abdicated her Swedish throne and moved to the Eternal City, influenced the work’s compositional process, instrumentation and philosophical background. She even wrote parts of the libretto. The theme of love was important to her on both academic and personal levels, as her dual role as woman and ruler did not conform to the preconceived notions of that era. Throughout her life, Christina sought out her own unique place in the labyrinths of partnership and love. The libretto of “La forza delle stelle" reflects on the diverse nature of love and its impact on people and their behaviour. From the point of view of music history, it is also interesting to note that “La forza delle stelle" is one of the first examples of a concerto grosso.
The programme is filled out by the instrumental music of a second composer supported by Christina, the Roman Arcangelo Corelli.
Duration: 1 h 45 min (incl. intermission)