The Divas of Mozart's Day featuring Patrice Michaels, soprano with Peter Van De Graaff, bass-baritone & commentary based on a concept by musicologist Dorothea Link

A fascinating look at five women whose voices were immortalized by Mozart and others of his day. The original Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Nancy Storace also created roles in operas by Salieri, Martín y Soler, and by her brother, Stephen Storace. The first Constanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Caterina Cavalieri also premiered arias by the recently rediscovered master Vincenzo Righini. Luisa Laschi Mombelli, Adriana Ferrarese, Louise Villaneuve - a portrait of each prima donna and of the theater music of classical-period Vienna will emerge through the voice of soprano Patrice Michaels.

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Peter Van De Graaff, bass-baritone and internationally syndicated radio host ("Through the Night") will join Ms. Michaels in duets, including a rarely heard comic gem Mozart wrote for the 1788 Vienna production of Don Giovanni.

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The Divas of Mozart's Day is available for booking with our own 8-member period ensemble featuring fortepianist David Schrader and led by renowned violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock; as a modern ensemble with piano provided by the presenter; or with Ms Michaels and Mr Van De Graaff as guests of the orchestra.

The performance is visually exciting, with staged duets, banter between the instrumentalists and singers, and just the right amount of historical context narration. The disc (on Cedille Records) is a Billboard Classical Top Ten Pick, and reviews of the concert are glowing:

"Michaels was in top form - her voice luminous, diction clear and phrasing exquisite. She negotiated the octaves with deceptive ease and her acting was bewitching."
- Chicago Tribune