The Virgin’s tears

Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques propose a foray into the torments of 17th-century Italian oratorio. The compositions – which describe the Virgin’s sorrow at the foot of the Cross – are the heirs to a very ancient tradition. They had an unprecedented blossoming during the Counter-Reformation, which placed devotion to the figure of the Mater Dolorosa at the heart of its theology. At the same time, on the opera scene, Italian audiences were deeply moved by lamentations, those grandiose scenes of grieving that hold a place of honor in the era’s operas. The mezzo-soprano Ambroisine Bré is unrivalled in her ability to express the blend of suffering, sweetness and contemplation in these works, mastering the typically baroque affects that are so dear to Italian operagoers.