With more than a million copies sold, the soundtrack of Gérard Corbiau's film Farinelli contributed considerably to the international renown of Les Talens Lyriques, in 1994. Back then the voice of the castrato Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli (1705-1782), was created using a computer to mix the voices of countertenor Derek Lee Ragin and soprano Ewa Mallas-Godlewska. On stage, in 2011, rather than a falsettist, world-renowned mezzo Ann Hallenberg was chosen by Christophe Rousset to portray the first rock star in the history of music. "The magic of the film came about thanks to a gripping human story, reinforced by music that was equally gripping," resumes Christophe Rousset, music director and conductor of the production. The idea for this programme, recorded in concert in Bergen, was to mix the emblematic arias of the film with other works from Farinelli's repertoire and relate the two periods of his career: the first, virtuosic and flamboyant, where the character accumulated as many ducats as vocalises; and a second, melancholic, introverted and sensitive. The libretto relates the exciting life of the infamous castrato, crisscrossing Europe on concert tours, giving performances acclaimed by royalty and an adoring public alike.