The name Barbara Hannigan is not yet mainstream, but those who love music discuss her artistry in worshipful tones, often with the word “genius” affixed. Hailing from Nova Scotia, now living on the northwest coast of France in a town aptly named Finistère (literally, end of the earth), the willowy blonde beauty is not only one of our great sopranos; she is also a conductor of the first rank. Hannigan’s specialty is contemporary music, and next weekend, in Munich, audiences will have the opportunity to experience her derring-do when she both performs and conducts one of the 20th century’s most emotionally naked and musically challenging operas: Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice), composed to a libretto by Jean Cocteau and premiered in 1959.
Hannigan’s luminous voice possesses the timbre of a flute. Her modest-size instrument focuses emotion, creating an effect deeper and more profound than voices that are more extrovert and throbbing. This quality of distillation, supported by musical acuity and technical excellence, has made her a muse for many of the most important composers of our time.
