Monday, September 19, 2011

Nude Soprano Sings Händel in Slovenia's Maribor Festival

"One of Slovenia's proudest cultural contributors is the Maribor Festival, located in the country's second city. With Australian violinist Richard Tognetti at the helm, the 2011 version provided edgy classical music thrills ranging from a naked soprano singing Handel to deconstructionist Marino Formenti playing after hours in an undeground pub...The naked soprano was Aleksandra Zamojska singing Handel's great aria from Giulio Cesare, "Piangero la sorte mia," topless in her underwear. Resisting the efforts by female members of the chorus to cover her nudity, Zamojska wielded a voice of velvety beauty and impeccable intonation that would have been sensationally sufficient had she been fully clothed. The exhibitionist coup de theatre, with lights transforming Zamojska's body into a anti-puerilistic cubist fantasy, gave it that little extra oomph that festival goers, eager to tell the folks back home what they missed, always appreciate. Not to be outdone, Marino Formenti -- who has performed nude himself -- ventured his first performance ever of John Cage's iconic 4:33 and made it a thing of casual, exquisite beauty." [Source] Watch Aleksandra Zamojska in a rather dramatic scena (compliments of director Sebastian Hirn) from Händel's Agrippina after the jump.