Philippe Jaroussky, Jérôme Ducros & Ébène Quartet

Philippe Jaroussky leads a flourishing career in baroque music; but the musician, who once dreamed of being a painter, has shown that he could be just as eloquent in the genre of French melody – a genre that has remained unexplored by countertenors.

In Opium , the qualities of the performer – a full timbre, projection and expressiveness – were balanced by those of the music lover, curious for forgotten gems, building a programme where pillars of the genre and little-known melodies complete one another in a joyous blend. The pianist Jérôme Ducros and the singer are repeating the experience, adding the bows of the Quatuor Ébène. This time, the underlying theme is Verlaine, in a journey from Fauré to Ferré.