Amanda Forsythe – a mix of old and new

By Farrah O’Shea, Ph.D., M.M  (Director, EMSI)

We at EMSI are busy preparing for our season opening concert, “Amanda Forsythe Sings Handel,” a celebration of Handel’s tuneful arias and music both old and new.

In this concert, Forsythe, who is celebrated for her interpretations of Handel, appears alongside the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO), led by Alexander Weimann. Punctuating the six Handel arias—which demonstrate Handel’s talent for composing memorable, tuneful melodies, as well as his versatility in composing arias for operas and oratorios alike—the PBO will perform instrumental works by Handel and Telemann.

Together, Forsythe and the PBO will also premiere a new work by Métis composer Pat Carrabré, The Mother Tree. The work takes inspiration from forest ecologist Suzanne Simard’s paradigm-shifting book, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, which details the interconnectedness of the forest, how trees live in community, and how we can understand and learn from their interconnectedness to live in harmony with nature and each other.

This mix of old and new works calls to mind Handel’s relationship with Élisabeth Duparc, the French soprano known as ‘La Francesina,’ who premiered several of Handel’s oratorios and operas, and notably, the group of arias being performed in this concert. As we witness Forsythe giving the premiere performances of Carrabré’s work, composed for her and the PBO, and listening to Forsythe perform the arias written for Duparc, it’s exciting to imagine ‘La Francesina’ in the same position, breathing life into this selection of Handel’s arias, written for her nearly 300 years ago.

As of now, Duparc is under researched, but interest in her career and relationship to Handel are growing. Recently, Rachel Allen, a soprano originally from Victoria, BC studying abroad at the Royal Northern College of Music, uncovered Duparc’s actual death date in a dictionary about pastelists before 1800; Duparc was also a noted artist.

Come bask in the musical beauty of Forsythe and the exquisite sounds of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in this celebration of new and once new works. To build your excitement, here is a video of Forsythe performing the aria “Sweet Bird” from Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato HWV 55, which will be featured in this concert.