The holiday spirit resonated powerfully at the Elbphilharmonie’s recent Christmas-themed concert, a year-end highlight crafted by the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists. Christophe Rousset’s much-anticipated debut as guest conductor, stepping in after Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s departure as artistic director, brought a fresh sense of artistic renewal and festive splendor. Drawing from the rich traditions of French and German Baroque music, Rousset and the ensemble took the audience on an enchanting musical journey, showcasing their exceptional artistry and energy. 

By pairing Charpentier’s “Messe de Minuit” with “Noëls sur les instruments,” Rousset crafted a well-balanced first half through thoughtful programming. The graceful carols served as a charming prelude, while faster-paced pieces after the mass added a spirited finale. This structure not only created a satisfying musical arc but also subtly referenced the tradition of earlier parody masses, where compositions were built on pre-existing tunes. 

Rousset’s direction emphasized dynamic interplay between choir and instruments, highlighting Charpentier’s masterful use of Baroque orchestration. The orchestra’s jubilant tones—especially from the violins, flutes, and basses—captured both the spiritual depth and intricate beauty of the Baroque style. While the positive organ was more limited in tonal range than a grand organ, its rich resonance filled the acoustically stunning Elbphilharmonie. 

Standout Vocalists

The vocalists were standout, blending clarity and expressiveness with remarkable finesse. Their “Kyrie” and “Gloria” radiated festive joy, with soprano lines soaring above the rich choral harmonies. The soloists brought dramatic contrast to the following movements, their voices intertwining with heartfelt precision. A particularly striking moment came with the soprano’s tender “Quoniam tu solus Sanctus,” full of lyrical warmth. The choir’s dynamic control and nuanced articulation shifted the mood effortlessly from the solemn “Crucifixus” to the exuberant “Agnus Dei,” leaving the audience deeply moved by Charpentier’s seamless blend of sacred and popular traditions. 

The second half showcased the young soloists’ brilliance. It opened with Bach’s “Schwingt freudig euch empor,” BWV 36c, a cantata bursting with joy and energy. The oboe d’amore’s lively solo set a cheerful tone, seamlessly leading into the choir’s bright and powerful entrance. Soprano Hilary Cronin’s aria offered a moment of contrast; her voice diverged from the ascending melody, followed by a thoughtful pause that highlighted the interaction with the instruments. Tenor Ruairi Bowen, warmly supported by the oboe d’amore, delivered an emotionally resonant performance. Each soloist sang with clarity and expression, balancing introspective passages with jubilant outbursts.

Rousset’s Inspiring Interpretation

The concert concluded with Bach’s “Unser Mund sei voll Lachens,” BWV 110, a festive cantata composed for Christmas Day 1725. The French-style overture, featuring flute, trumpet, and timpani, set a celebratory tone from the first bar. The choir’s fugal entry filled the hall with joyous energy, drawing appreciative murmurs from the audience. The young soloists embraced a more operatic style in this secular cantata, vividly portraying characters from the joyful to the contemplative while maintaining a dynamic connection with the listeners. Mezzo-soprano Rebecca Leggett conveyed deep introspection and doubt in her aria, offering a reflective counterpoint to the exuberant bass aria. In the latter, Florian Störtz’s commanding voice soared over bold trumpet fanfares and dazzling coloraturas, stirring the crowd. The final triumphant chorale faded, the concert hall erupted with enthusiastic cries of “Merci!” from Rousset’s devoted French fans, adding a heartfelt and spontaneous touch to the evening’s celebration. 

Though the concert faced a conductor change, Mr. Rousset’s debut with the English Baroque Soloists more than made up for any initial disappointment. For devoted Baroque enthusiasts who might have attended Sir Gardiner’s performance with his newly formed ensemble, The Constellation Orchestra, just a week earlier—featuring a similar program—this was a rare opportunity to compare the artistry of two distinguished early music specialists. Ultimately, Rousset’s interpretation stood out for its vitality, elegance, and emotional depth, leaving a lasting impression on all present.

The post HamburgMusik 2024-25 Review: English Baroque Soloists / Monteverdi Choir / Christophe Rousset appeared first on OperaWire.

This week the Paris Opera opened its 2024-25 season with Verdi’s final work. The production featured some of the greatest interpreters of the opera as well as an array of singers new to the work. Among them was Olivia Boen who was making a double debut.

The American soprano not only made her role debut as Alice Ford, but she was also making her Paris Opera debut, raising her profile as one of the world’s rising stars. Additionally, this will be one of her most important leading roles in a major opera company.

Over the past years, Boen has been a member of the Opernstudio at the Staatsoper Hamburg where she has already performed Gretel in Humperdink’s “Hänsel und Gretel,” Musetta in Puccini’s “La bohème,” Xenia in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” and Inez in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.”

The soprano has already performed with the Verbier Festival, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, London Song Festival, and Opera Holland Park.

For those not in Paris to discover the rising star, Boen will make three role debuts in Hamburg including Servilla in Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito,” Pamina in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” and Sifare in Mozart’s “Mitridate, re di Ponto” and will make her Philharmonie de Paris debut.

Recordings 

For those who want to listen to Boen’s voice, here she is as Nedda in “Pagliacci” and Fiordiligi in “Cosi fan tutte.”

The post Artist of the Week: Olivia Boen appeared first on OperaWire.

The new ensemble, The Constellation Choir and Orchestra, will feature some of Europe’s most distinguished musicians and singers alongside special guest soloists.

The ensemble will be led by Gardiner in a series of concerts at five venues in Germany, France, Austria, and Luxembourg this December.

The tour is Gardiner’s response to direct personal invitations from the venues to assemble musicians and singers and the program will open at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg followed by concerts at the Wiener Konzerthaus, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Konzerthaus Dortmund, and Chateau de Versailles. There will also be a tour in 2025 and 2026.

In a statement, Gardiner said, “It gives me great pleasure to announce the foundation of Springhead Constellation, a unique new project embodying a vibrant collective of musical ensembles, creative artists and makers. Our flagship groups, The Constellation Orchestra and The Constellation Choir will produce ambitious, multidisciplinary performance projects that tour around the world. Our aspiration is to create accessible, engaging and educational performances that resonate across all generations and geographies. Since my return to conducting in Montpellier in July, I have been deeply moved and inspired by the extremely warm and enthusiastic messages of support I have received from musicians, presenters and promoters alike. I made clear when I parted company with the MCO earlier this summer that I was not in any sense ready to retire. I said I would be focussing on a rich variety of new projects. Springhead Constellation and this tour – which will be the first of many – represents the realisation of that commitment and I am hugely energised about what we can go on to achieve together. More than anything else, I am so excited and grateful to be working with such exceptional musicians once again, not forgetting the important lessons I have learnt and needed to learn from the past year.”

Earlier this summer Gardiner announced his resignation from Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras. The conductor announced in February that he was extending his leave of absence following an August 2023 incident in which Gardiner attacked bass William Thomas backstage during a performance of Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” because he exited the podium on the wrong side after the first part of the opera. The incident caused Gardiner to apologize publicly and cancel all public performances.

The post John Eliot Gardiner Announces Comeback, Launches New Orchestra & Choir appeared first on OperaWire.

German conductor Anja Bihlmaier has been named Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra effective September 2024.

In her new role, she will work closely with BBC Philharmonic’s Director Adam Szabo to plan and deliver concerts as well as collaborative projects, recordings, and broadcasts for audiences in and around Manchester, as well as on BBC Radio 3.

In a statement, Bihlmaier said, “I am thrilled to join the BBC Philharmonic team as Principal Guest Conductor, alongside such a respected colleague as John Storgårds. From our first concert at Bridgewater Hall, playing Shostakovich and Dvorak, I felt a special bond and mutual trust with the musicians. I love their dedication, their virtuosity and willingness to experiment, their sense of humor and most importantly their great passion for the music, and how they bring it to life for their audience. Our Proms concert last year and Bruckner 7 in Manchester were unforgettable highlights. I look forward to continuing our journey, hoping to achieve something special in the vibrant city of Manchester and at the BBC Proms.”

Throughout her career, Bihlmaier has served as Chief Conductor of the Residentie Orkest and conducted the London Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Mahler Chamber, Salzburg Mozartwoche, and the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony orchestras. This season she will conduct the Munich Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Bergen Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Seattle and Toronto symphonies, and Spanish National Orchestra.

The post BBC Philharmonic Announces New Principal Guest Conductor appeared first on OperaWire.

Boosey & Hawkes, a Concord Music Publishing company, has welcomed Matthias Pintscher to its roster of composers.

Pitscher a longtime collaborator as a conductor of numerous works from Boosey & Hawkes’ contemporary catalog, will now focus future collaboration with the company on his own compositions. The company will publish his new music theatre project which will receive its world premiere in 2026.

Pitscher has written several operas including “L’espace Dernier,” “Thomas Chatterton,” and “Gesprungene Glocken.” He has written many solo works for the voice as well as choral works. For his composing, Pintscher has received numerous prizes and scholarships starting at a young age. He has held the position of Artist and Composer in Residence at the Suntory Hall Summer Festival, Cleveland Orchestra, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, the Salzburg and the Lucerne Festivals, among others. He has made guest appearances at the Vienna and Berlin State Opera houses, the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and more. He was music director of the Ensemble intercontemporain for 10 years. He currently is Creative Partner of the Cincinnati Symphony and Music Director of the Kansas City Symphony as well as Professor at the Juilliard School in New York.

In a press release, Tina Funk, Managing Director of Concord Music Publishing, GSA, states “Matthias Pintscher is a great international artistic personality. His subtle, idiosyncratic musical language impresses us just as much as his outstanding commitment to the music of our time. We are delighted to be entering into a new creative partnership with him.”

The post Matthias Pintscher Signs With Boosey & Hawkes appeared first on OperaWire.

He will be managed at Askonas Holt by Solal del Castillo.

The Polish countertenor is renowned for his unique ability to connect with new audiences and art forms and has become an accomplished model and break-dancer, gracing the covers of Polish Vogue, Esquire, and Elle in addition to the stages of the greatest concert halls in the world.

Orliński is an exclusive Warner Classics/Erato artist and this season he will take a 23-date European tour of “Beyond” with il Pomo d’Oro. He also returns to the opera stage at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées in a new production of Vivaldi’s “L’Olimpiade.”

Recently, he has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Teatro Real Madrid, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and the San Francisco Opera.

The post Jakub Józef Orliński Joins Askonas Holt for Worldwide Management appeared first on OperaWire.

The company said that Anastasiya Taratorkina will take over the role of Valencienne replacing Katharina Konradi.

Taratorkina will make her house debut. The soprano is a resident artist at  Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden and has performed at the International Hamburg Music Festival, Elbphilharmonie, the Concerthall Stadtcasino Basel, and the Semperoper Dresden.

She is set to join a cast that includes Martin Winkler, Michael Volle, Marlis Petersen, and Andrew Owens. Patrick Hahn conducts the production by Barrie Kosky.

Konradi returns to the production for the Feb. 18, 2024 performance.

The post Opernhaus Zürich Announces Cast Change for ‘The Merry Widow’ appeared first on OperaWire.

The company said, “We would like to inform you that Simon Keenlyside, unwell, will be replaced by Florian Boesch.”

Boesch has performed all over the world in such theaters as Wigmore Hall, the Musikverein, Konzerthaus, the Het Concertgebouw, Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, the Salzburg Festival, Konzerthaus in Dortmund, Theater an der Wien, the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

He is set to join soprano Regula Mühlemann and conductor Gianluca Capuano in a performance that will take place on Jan. 29, 2024.

The post Opéra de Monte-Carlo Announces Cast Change for ‘Deutsche Requiem’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Urbański will be the youngest conductor at the helm of one of Poland’s leading musical institutions. He will succeed Andrzej Boreyko, who began his tenure as the Warsaw Philharmonic’s Artistic Director in 2019.

Urbański is a graduate of the Music Academy in Warsaw and first served for two years as assistant conductor with the Warsaw Philharmonic. He has since served as Music Director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and in 2023 was named the Chief Conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra 

He has also conducted such orchestras as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and Wiener Symphoniker.

The post Warsaw Philharmonic Announces New Artistic Director appeared first on OperaWire.

Alsop will lead the orchestra in multiple subscription concerts, special events, annual summer residencies, and national and international tours, starting with a tour of China in 2024.

In a statement, Alsop said, “Working with the incredible musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra has always been a musical highlight for me. Having the opportunity now to build on that relationship, and join the spectacular artistic team headed by visionary conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, is a dream come true. The Philadelphia Orchestra is committed to changing the future of classical music. I am proud to join this exceptional organization.”

Matías Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, added, “We are fervent believers in the transformative power of music to bring joy, create community and effect change – sentiments shared and exemplified by Marin Alsop throughout her career. I am delighted to see these possibilities unfold as she partners with the extraordinary musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra.”

In recent years, Alsop has conducted The Philadelphia Orchestra at several major events including the second annual Pride Concert, a celebratory evening of works by LGBTQ+ composers and allies.

This season the legendary conductor makes her debut at the Metropolitan Opera and also conducts the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony, the Polish National Radio Symphony, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Hamburg’s NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The post Marin Alsop Named Principal Guest Conductor of Philadelphia Orchestra appeared first on OperaWire.