The many faces of femininity

‘I am there to be beautiful. I have a purpose in life, which is to be loved.’ The words of the sulphurous Duchess in Powder Her Face, a role recently played by Allison Cook in her first performance at La Monnaie, before taking on another work from the contemporary repertoire, Pascal Dusapin’s To Be Sung. True to her own nature, the soprano returns with a recital balanced between spirituality and worldliness, between Purcell, Schoenberg, and the jazz-like tones of Thomas Adès and the spicy Cabaret Songs of Kurt Weill. She will also premiere songs by the Polish composer Katarina Glowicka, setting texts by Afghan women from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project. An exploration of femininity in some remarkable works: an irresistible invitation from Allison Cook.

PROGRAMME

• Henry Purcell Dido’s Lament from “Dido and Aeneas”, Z. 626 (1689)
• Arnold Schoenberg Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, op. 15 (1908-1909)
• Thomas Adès Paraphrases from “Powder Her Face”
• Katarina Glowicka Unknown (world premiere)
• Kurt Weill Songs from “Cabaret Songs”