“When I want to do something, I do it in spite of water, fire, society, the whole world.”
– Pauline García Viardot​

150 years ago, the great mezzo-soprano, composer, and teacher Pauline García Viardot wrote the salon opera Le Dernier sorcier (The Last Sorcerer) on a libretto by the great Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev. A chamber opera in two acts, the work focuses on themes of power, progress, and the restoration of natural order – a feminist eco-fable in operatic form. Viardot’s original manuscript was held a private collection for over a century, and as such, the work essentially vanished without a trace.

Excitingly, the original manuscript for Le Dernier sorcier was recently acquired by Harvard Library, and Camille has executive produced the world premiere recording of the work for Bridge Records. Singing the role of Stella, Camille joins a terrific cast that includes Bass-Baritone Eric Owens (“one of the greatest bass-baritones in the world” – Bloomberg News) in the title role of the last sorcerer, Mezzo-Soprano Jamie Barton (“a remarkable artist with great reservoirs of vocal power and agility wedded to an exquisite communicative gift” – San Francisco Chronicle) in the majestic role of La Reine, Mezzo-Soprano Adriana Zabala (“a delight… alive to each possible nuance” – Opera News) in the trouser role of the lovelorn Prince Lelio, Tenor Michael Slattery (“a stunningly communicative actor and singer” – American Record Guide) as the comic valet Perlimpinpin, Soprano Sarah Brailey (“radiant, liquid tone” – The New York Times) as the impish fairy Verveine, Manhattan Girls’ Chorus (“clear, bell-like children’s voices… affectingly precise” – The New York Times / founder and artistic director Michelle Oesterle) as the Chorus of Fairies, Pianist Liana Pailodze Harron (“upifting” – Amazon), Pianist Myra Huang (“among the top accompanists of her generation” – Opera News), and Actress and Activist Trudie Styler (“inspirational” – Vogue) as Narrator. Learn more at https://www.thelastsorcerer.org/.