From Vittoria Tesi to Beyoncé, a lecture-recital on Black Divas

Forgotten today, Tesi was one of the most celebrated divas of the eighteenth century. She was known for her unusually broad vocal range that allowed her to take on male and female roles, through which she played with notions of gender and race on the stage.

This lecture recital interweaves Tesi’s story, and those of other black divas across the centuries, with Lufuno Ndou performing the aria “Pur ch’io possa a te” from the 1725 opera ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by Johann Adolf Hasse. This aria was written especially for Tesi, who played the cross-dressing role of Antony alongside the well-known castrato singer Farinelli, who played Cleopatra. Carol Leeming will perform her poem “Praise Song for Black Divas”, followed by a conversation and Q&A with the speaker, performers and audience.

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