Voix en Vigne Lyric Festival 2012
Voix en Vigne Lyric Festival at Château Roubine
Located right in the middle of Provence, between Lorgues and Draguignan, Château Roubine is one of the oldest wine estates of France producing famous Cru Classé Côtes de Provence wines. For the third year, this prestigious Château hosted the "Voix en Vigne" (Voices in Vine) lyric festival. Owner Valerie Rousselle and Artistic Director Claude-Nicole Martinot proposed music lovers to get drunk on opera music with soprano Melissa Petit on July 21 under the starred sky of the Var. Melissa Petit is born in Saint Raphaël and was awarded many prizes: second prize of the 2009 Sacred Music International Competition in Roma, first prize of the Beziers Opera competition in 2010, and first prize and Bordeaux Opera Prize at "Musiques au Coeur du Medoc" this year.
As a tribute to the four elements, Voix en Vigne offered arias by the greatest opera composers such as Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Massenet, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. Melissa Petit in turn embodied with brio and grace romantic heroines: "Violetta, the Lady of the Camellias" by Verdi, a sad Pamina at Tamino's silence in Mozart's "Magic Flute", Nanetta interpreting the magical song with surreal tonal world of the third act of Verdi's "Fagstaff", a loving Gilda in "Rigoletto" from the famous aria "Caro nome" and Massenet's young Manon "feeling dizzy" getting out of the diligence which took her to the inn where love will surprise her. Also a classic from Puccini opera, "O mio babbino caro", known to all music lovers, and a beautiful light melody taken from "L'Africaine" by Meyerbeer, when Inès laments the departure of his betrothed, Vasco Da Gama, gone to explore the new world. These extracts were peppered with a few singing exercises by Rachmaninoff and instrumental melodies by Debussy. The talented young soprano was accompanied by the Saint Raphaël Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jean-Sébastien Hubert, violin soloist and Artistic Director of the Saint Raphaël Chamber Orchestra. Melissa's angelic voice hovered over the vineyards and delighted the large audience gathered at the foot of the Château. To extend the enchantment, guests were offered Château Roubine Cru Classé Côtes de Provence wine tasting at intermission and at the end of the concert.
In the garden, on could admire some paintings by american artist Mary Louise Gallaway Degonde from her exhibition "Regards sur la végétation du Midi" (Vegetation of the South of France at a Glance) that Château Roubine is hosting up to September 15.
