La Néréide
Shirley Thomson
Catherine Znak
Peppie Johnson
Created in 2019 by sopranos Camille Allérat, Julie Roset and Ana Vieira Leite, ensemble La Néréide showcases baroque repertoire for equal voices alongside featured instrumentalists. The trio connected while studying at Haute École de musique de Genève and chose the name as a reference to the mythical water sirens, les Néréides, keeping the singular form to represent their unity as an ensemble.
In their debut album, Il Concerto Segreto, released on Ricercar in September 2023, La Néréide present an all-Italian programme exploring the last years of the 16th century in the court of Ferrara, where there was an exceptional musical community dominated by a remarkable trio of female voices. This trio was nurtured by the court’s resident music master, composer Luzzasco Luzzaschi, and attendance at the concerts was by personal invitation of the Duke of Ferrara only, the repertoire was a closely guarded secret and only partially published in 1601. La Néréide’s first recording is centred around these publications, recreating the original conditions in which the works would have been performed, with the accompaniment of harpsichord, originally played by Luzzaschi himself, as well as viol, harp and luth, on which the Ladies of Ferrara would have accompanied themselves at the time.
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Also in their repertoire, La Néréide showcase Lully and his almost-forgotten pupil, Lalouette, whose musical rivalry was well known in the day. In 2024, La Néréide will record ‘Les petites françaises’; a programme of Lully and Lalouette’s motets and vocal trios, accompanied by original forces; organ, viola de gamba and archlute.
Having already received critical acclaim for their performances in Avignon and Namur, in 2023/2024 La Néréide will perform Il Concerto Secreto at Theatre Grévin in Paris, Opéra de Dijon and at the MA Festival Brugge. La Néréide are also Artists in Residence at Fondation Singer-Polignac.
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“The three sopranos of La Néréide show impressive expertise. Singing together in imitation, and polyphony, they weave the audience into the threads of their melodies, like sea goddesses transforming into enchanting sirens. The texts are carefully interpreted and their voices project strongly but with flexibility and delicacy. They ornament their vocal lines with remarkable ease and perform Marenzio’s Belle ne fe’ natura with impeccable balance and accuracy.”
“This new recording is highly recommendable. The singing of Camille Allérat, Julie Roset and Ana Vieira Leite is impressive. This is technically demanding repertoire, which is not easy to perform, but they succeed with flying colours. It is essential that the many details in Luzzaschi’s setting of the texts are realized to the full, and that is the case here.”
“This is superb singing from La Néréide, a young ensemble of three wonderfully matched artists, who bring a haunting beauty to the music of Italian Renaissance composer Luzzasco Luzzaschi.”
“Luzzaschi’s works demand virtuosity in ornamentation and clear diction, which all three sopranos possess. Light and comfortable in the treble for Ana Vieira Leite, balanced for Julie Roset, more timbre for Camille Allérat, the three voices coordinate perfectly. The interpretation suits the dramatic meaning within each piece.”
“La Néréide sing complex ornamentations, performed with astonishing ease and naturalness. The precision of the attacks, the constant accuracy, the support and the modelling of the phrases give this rich polyphony a singular life. The emotion is there, whatever the character of the piece: each listener is suspended to the expression. Listening within the ensemble, the key to repertoire with imitation, is masterful; the freshness of the programme and all the vocal qualities of the singers are a source of constant happiness. Freshness, purity of emission, lightness, colours, contrasts, fusion of timbres, harmony, happiness…”
“La Néréide is distinguished by the harmonious, warm timbres adorned with a delicate vibrato, of its three singers. Their interpretation, all balanced, is of finesse and precision even in the superabundant passages and ornaments.”
“It is impressive how the three voices of Camille Allérat, Julie Roset and Ana Vieira Leite blend and beguile with virtuoso ornamentation, this is vocal art at the highest level.”
“the three young musicians’ voices blend together perfectly; it’s a very beautiful first recording”
