Sébastien Fournier, one of Europe’s most celebrated young singers, and the ensemble Sprezzatura recently gave a performance at the University of Macau (UM). This is the first time that a Le French May event has taken place at UM. Le French May is the largest French cultural and arts festival in Asia. The performance was hosted by UM’s Moon Chun Memorial College.
Counter-tenor Sébastien Fournier, accompanied by the musicians of Sprezzatura Ensemble (Thibault Lafaye, harpsichord, Carole Charbonnier Carrive, gamba and Xavier Janot, traverso), performed a broad array of music and early opera from various European courts, culminating in an encore performance of a Chinese folk song, with wholehearted approval from the audience.
M Fournier sang with consummate skill and passion true to the spirit and characteristic nonchalance of Sprezzatura (the art of doing something intensely demanding whilst appearing unstudied and achieved without effort). Semi-staged drama and participation by members of the audience made for an evening of flair and sheer delight. There were outstanding instrumental moments in the ‘Sonata in A Minor’ by Handel, elegant flute playing from Xavier Janot, traverso, some spirited and sensitive gamba from Carole Charbonnier Carrive, and deft continuo keyboard voice-leading, Thibault Lafaye, from the harpsichord, throughout. As stunning performances of remarkable intensity and passion unfolded, Sébastien Fournier and Ensemble Sprezzatura, engrossed an audience ranging over young – new-to-experience a counter-tenor and baroque music (children rapt with delight and bewildered wonderment) to a cognoscenti of devotees who had travelled by flight, ferry from far afield to hear this gifted group live in concert.
The chairman of Institut Pasteur (IP), IP representatives, and Roberto Bruzzone, co-director of Pasteur Lab, attended alongside Mme Anne Denis-Blanchardon, consul for culture, education & science and head of the Cultural and Scientific Department (SCAC) of the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau.
Prof Kit Thompson, master of the Moon Chun Memorial College, said, ‘The unique and exclusive nature of this concert here in Macao cannot be over emphasised, as this proved to be a very rare and special opportunity to experience one of the most talented singers of his generation performing with his baroque ensemble.’
Source: Moon Chun Memorial College
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