Handel's last Prima Donna: new podcast
Gramophone
Friday, March 2, 2018
Ruby Hughes and Laurence Cummings on music for Giulia Frasi
The latest disc by soprano Ruby Hughes - joined by conductor Laurence Cummings - explores music written for the Italian soprano Giulia Frasi, Handel’s last prima donna. Alongside arias written by Handel for Frasi - including from his late oratorios Susanna, Solomon, Theodora, and Jephtha – are those by some of his contemporaries, including Ciampi, Hayes and Arne.
For the latest Gramophone podcast, Editor in Chief James Jolly met with Ruby Hughes and Laurence Cummings - appropriately enough at St George’s, Hanover Square, where Handel worshipped - to talk about Frasi, and what we know about her life and voice. Excerpts are taken from ‘Handel's Last Prima Donna: Giulia Frasi in London’, which is released by Chandos today.
You can listen to this podcast below - and to download other Gramophone podcasts, visit our page at iTunes, where you can also subscribe to future episodes.