The Courtesan (CD) – Sonya Yoncheva

Composers: Jules Massenet, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Camille Saint-Saëns, Giuseppe Verdi, Carl Orff
Artists: Sonya Yoncheva, Charles Castronovo, Orchestra dell’Opera Carlo Felice Genova
Conductor: Marco Armiliato
Number of Discs: 1
Label: SY11 Productions
Release Date: December 13, 2022

In her fifth solo album, Sonya Yoncheva unites eternal female figures, bold and provocative, who have remained in the collective imagination under the decidedly romantic colors of the writers and composers of the 19th century. They highlight particularly the contradictions and tensions that run through a woman’s personality, between the different roles and images she is expected to fulfill, and the ideals and fantasies she is called upon to incarnate. These questions could not be more relevant today. 

“The mysterious world of the courtesans has always intrigued me. I have been captivated by their sensuality, this most feminine language, and amazed by their destiny, supreme and tragic at the same time…. As soon as they give up their status in favor of love, only one fate awaits them – death. 

“I once read the story of Veronica Franco – a Venetian courtesan, a poet gifted with beauty and intelligence unprecedented in her field. She asserted herself as a woman and a poet in territories traditionally reserved for men: those of erotic casuistry and public debate. I was struck by this personality who, in her speeches, defied a whole era that both idealized and degraded women, objectifying them. A warrior of women’s rights, who was offering her body to pleasure. What a contrast, and what faith! 

“Inspired by her path, I wanted to give my voice and dedicate this record to those women who are not always allowed to express themselves.” – Sonya Yoncheva

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