~The "Glass Shatterers!" series focuses on sopranos who sustain High F, or sing higher.
THE SONGBIRD: Sen Guo was born in Shanxi, China. She studied at the Shanghai Conservatory and the Zhou Xiao Yan Opera Center. During her studies, she won the China Vocal Competition and the Hong Kong Competition for Young Asian Musicians. In 2001 she joined Zurich's opera studio. Her professional career started when she sang Queen of the Night in a debut in Dresden, followed by bookings of the role in Berlin, Hamburg, St. Gallen, Vienna, and Zurich. Other appearances include Olympia, Nanetta, Le Feu, Fiakermilli, and Zerbinetta in Zurich; Violetta, Gilda, and in Shanghai; Oscar in Beijing; and Clorinda in Monte Carlo, Amsterdam, and Versailles.
THE MUSIC: Saleri's opera "Europa riconosciuta" ("Europa Revealed") premiered at the inauguration of Milan's La Scala on August 3, 1778. The opera was not performed again until December 2004 for the re-opening of La Scala, after the theater had been closed for three years for major renovations. This opera seria has three soprano roles -- Asterio was written for a castrato, and Semele and Europa for two high-flying coloratura sopranos with demanding florid singing up to High F-sharps. The roles were written for Maria Balducci (Europa) and Francesca Danzi (Semele). Balducci was the prima donna in Naples, Jérôme Lalande wrote of her: “Currently Balducci passes for the most beautiful voice. She seems to have had an astonishing ease in the high notes, and one can assume, given the typology of Europa's role, that she was also a tragic actress of some merit." Europa's elaborate aria "Ah! Lo sento" tops out on High F-sharp.