Apollo’s Fire: Echoes Across the Atlantic

Grammy-winners Apollo's Fire and Jeannette Sorrell join legendary Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique to explore the connections between Europe and the colonies of the Caribbean in the 18th century. Across the waters, tales of love, despair and resilience emerge from the palaces of Europe and the plantations of the Caribbean – with surprising resonance for today. A suite from Handel's masterful Agrippina (1709) leads to a dramatic recitation from a Caribbean funeral oration of the same year, lamenting the murder of an enslaved man by the plantation owner. A thrilling orchestral suite by Rameau leads to his flirtatious aria "Air de la Folie - Aux langueurs d'Apollon" from Platée, which explodes into a joyous Creole wedding celebration. The virtuoso music of Handel, Purcell, Rameau and Vivaldi meets the soulful voices of Caribbean poets in this celebration of our shared humanity. Performers Apollo's Fire Baroque Ensemble Jeannette Sorrell conductor Jeanine De Bique soprano