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.

The English Concert announces the details of its spring 2025 spring season.

Soprano Lucy Crowe performs a program of works by Handel and Corelli, under the baton of The English Concert’s founder, Trevor Pinnock.

Performance Date: January 30, 2025 (Wigmore Hall)

Up next sopranos Isabel Schicketanz and Joanna Songi, mezzo-soprano Lucile Richardot, tenor Samuel Boden, and bass Florian Störz solo in Bach’s “Mass in B minor.”

Performance Dates: February 20 & 22, 2025 (St. Martin-in-the-Fields & Bath Abbey)

Soprano Hilary Cronin takes on the title role in Handel’s “Esther.” She is joined by tenors Xavier Hetherington, Hugo Hymas, countertenor Hugh Cutting, and bass Matthew Brook. John Butt directs.

Performance Dates: March 2025 (London and Madrid)

Throughout Holy Week, The English Concert performs Bach’s “St John Passion.” Francesco Corti directs.

Performance Dates: April 18 & 19, 2025 (Wigmore Hall & Turner Sims Concert Hall)

Soprano Louise Alder, countertenor Christophe Dumaux, mezzo-sopranos Paula Murrihy and Beth Taylor, and countertenors John Holiday and Meili Li star in the company’s USA and Europe tour of Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.” Harry Bicket conducts.

Performance Dates: April 27 – May 11, 2025 

The English Concert returns to Garsington Opera to present Handel’s “Rodelinda.” Lucy Crowe takes on the title role. The creative team includes director Ruth Knight, designer Leslie Travers, and conductor Peter Whelan.

Performance Dates: June 13– July 19, 2025

Also at Garsington Opera, The English Concert performs Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Jamie Manton directs the revival of John Cox’s production, alongside Gary McCann’s stage design. Gérard Korsten conducts.

Performance Dates: June 27– July 22, 2025

The post The English Concert Announces 2025 Spring Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Written in 1707 while living in Italy, Händel’s first oratorio, “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno,” was a work that he would return to again and again over his career. Not only did he mine it for arias he could use in his operas, but he also created two further versions of the piece. In 1737, he revised and expanded it into three parts and altered the title to “Il Trionfo del Tempo e della Verità,” and then in 1757, he created a version in English entitled “The Triumph of Time and Truth.”

Unlike many of his oratorios, however, “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno” does not easily allow itself to be staged as a piece of theatre, not that this has prevented directors from attempting to do so. The problem is that it has a plot in which nothing much happens. Rather, it is a conversational piece in which four allegorical characters discuss modes of behavior that make for a fulfilling life. Bellezza (Beauty), enamored with her own beauty, is encouraged by Piacere (Pleasure) to devote herself to following life’s pleasures. Tempo (Time) and Disinganno (Disillusionment), however, disagree and seek to persuade her otherwise. The librettist, Cardinal Pamphilj, who had very strong opinions on such matters, verging on the puritanical, viewed the frivolous and pleasure-seeking life as sinful and one to be avoided. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the work concludes with Bellezza rejecting pleasure in favor of Tempo and Disinganno’s arguments and repents.

Spirei’s Imaginative and Captivating Reading

The difficulty in staging a work with so little physical action, however, appears to have acted as a stimulus to directors, who, over the past few years, have overseen a number of imaginative presentations, the latest of which, Jacopo Spirei’s production for the Buxton International Festival, must be rated as one of the most successful.

Spirei’s reading is founded on how the word ‘disinganno’ may be understood and how it affects the human condition. Translated as “disillusionment,” Pamphilj saw it as meaning a release from deception or as enlightenment. Spirei, however, accepted the more common interpretation with its negative connotations of disappointment or the loss of faith in one’s dreams, which had the effect of changing the message of the work. Instead of Bellezza attaining a state of enlightenment through transcending the fickleness and inevitable decay of a life dedicated to pleasure, the work is turned upon its head; by abandoning her dreams of pleasure, she fundamentally gives up on life itself and is left alone and miserable.

Spirei set the work in an average modern-day household consisting of four family members, allowing him to create two simultaneously unfolding narratives that were inextricably linked through a single discussion, with each of the four singers playing the role of an allegorical figure and a member of the family. The drama opened with Bellezza, a teenage girl on the cusp of adulthood, admiring herself in the mirror, encouraged by her sister Piacere. The two girls are rebellious and eager to engage with what life has to offer. Their world-weary mother, Disinganno, and their very responsible father, Tempo, are forever tying to reason with them, but are met with resistance and disinterest.

The ongoing discussion took place on Christmas Day, the centerpiece of which was the dinner, at which the family sat down to eat. As usual at such an event, there was plenty of forced good cheer and bickering. Following the dinner, Spirei illustrated his cynical attitude towards Pamphilj’s philosophical outlook by having the mother and father relax by smoking marijuana, which ended up with the whole family dancing around the stage; even the most puritanical cannot resist indulging themselves in a little pleasure on occasions!

Towards the end of Part two, Bellezza rejects Piacere’s entreaties to follow a life dedicated to pleasure and decides on a different pathway. Disinganno and Tempo, their work successfully completed, pack their bags and leave. Bellezza is left alone. The daughter has grown up, rejected the lifestyle of her sister and, as is inevitable, her parents have departed. Without pleasure, what is she left with? Is it the decay, hypocrisy and drudgery that time and disillusionment bring?

It was not, however, meant to be a didactic presentation but simply an interesting alternative interpretation arising from the ambiguity carried by the word ‘disillusionment.’ And, significantly, it did not go against the spirit of Händel’s music, which is often sympathetic towards Piacere.

Spirei was aided in his reading by the excellent designs of Anna Bonomelli. The single set comprised a living cum dining room typically associated with middle-class houses with a kitchen in the background, between which the mother figure continually moved while setting and clearing the table while her daughters lounged on the couch. On the left-hand side of the stage was the obligatory, nicely decorated Christmas tree.

Her stereotypical costume designs were used successfully to define the characters. Bellezza was attired in a sequined dress with plenty of make-up, ready for night out, while her sister, Piacere, had a more unconventional appearance, but one also suited to night out and deliberately fashioned to challenge her parents. The parents were humorously presented. Tempo was the boring, bespectacled, staid middle-class father, dressed in corduroy trousers and a round-neck woolen jumper, who lectured yet tolerated his more energetic daughters. His wife, Disinganno, had a costume that reflected her dull and dreary daily routine and made her look like a middle-aged frump.

It all came together superbly. It turned Handel and Pamphilj’s static consideration of a life devoted to pleasure into a family drama played out between the generations and came up with a different conclusion. It was dramatically active; it even amused in parts, and if it was against the spirit, if not the specific words, of Pamphilj’s text, it was no less convincing for the fact.

Curnyn Oversees Strong Musical Presentation

The musical side of the production was under the direction of Christian Curnyn, who elicited sensitive and dramatically compelling performances from the singers and The Early Opera Company orchestra, whose playing was clear and beautifully paced throughout, whilst maintaining a near-perfect balance between all the musical elements.

The four singers engaged fully with their characters, producing four very clearly defined and recognizable characters. Although the discussions in which they were involved were of a profound and serious nature, they all had a lot of fun with their portrayals, which often brought out amused laughter from the audience, and their singing was terrific.

Having recently reviewed soprano Anna Dennis’ excellent concert performance in the role of Bellezza at the Händel festival in Göttingen only a couple of months earlier, it came as a major surprise to see the extent to which she was able to add to it through her response to Spirei’s staging. On both occasions, her performance was superb, yet it was a very different Bellezza that we met in Buxton. At the end of the Göttingen production, Bellezza is fully repentant, having found the path towards enlightenment. In Buxton, however, finding herself alone in the living room, looking abandoned and miserable, and asking the angels to help her, she imbued her final aria, “Tu del Ciel ministro eletto,” with an emotionally forlorn heaviness that reinforced her now pitiful state and brought the oratorio to a powerful conclusion.

With seven other arias plus three ensemble pieces to sing, Bellezza is a role that allowed Dennis to show off her interpretative and technical talents to the full. In her opening aria, for example, “Fido specchio,” she mused on her beauty and its temporary nature, allowing her voice to dance across the vocal line, sensitively ornamented with gentle embellishments, while in her aria “Un pensiero nemico di pace” imaginatively set against the background of a heated family discussion, it was the purity of her upper register and her fine vocal control illustrated in a series of fast-moving passages of coloratura that impressed. In every case, the arias were shaped to reveal to the full emotional dimensions of the text; there was nothing superficial in her delivery.

Händel’s response to Bellezza’s rejection of a life devoted to pleasure was to compose two of the work’s better-known arias for Piacere, “Lascia la spina” and “Come nembo che fugge dal vento,” for which soprano Hilary Cronin, cast in the role, produced fine renditions. While the first was delivered with sensitive expressivity, replete with delicate contrasts in color, subtle ornamentation and pleasing legato singing, the latter allowed her to indulge in a more energetic and forceful expression of her feelings, with elongated passages of complex coloratura and strong emotional accenting of the line. Overall, apart from a little harshness in the voice, she created a convincing and impressive portrait of the more rebellious of the two sisters. She played up the role for all it was worth; she had all the necessary body language and facial expressions, to which she added the occasional pinch of humor.

I doubt that “Disinganno” has ever captured the attention of the audience to the extent managed by contralto Hilary Summers. She was always on the move, whether she was laying the table, dancing around the living room or singing while eating her Christmas dinner – which she achieved without any apparent discomfort – she hardly ever raised a smile throughout the whole show, such was her state of disillusionment. She possesses a colorful voice with beautiful, dark undertones that she used to enliven the vocal line. Her articulation is clear and precise and, apart from the occasional problem with her breathing, in which she could be heard taking in sufficient air, her delivery was firm and secure. Each of her arias was pleasingly delivered with attention given to its emotional content. Her third aria in Part one, “Crede l’uom ch’egli riposi,” in particular, showed off her vocal qualities to good effect, in which her subtle ornamentations, slow coloratura and colorful shadings impressed. She was also capable of more demonstrative singing, as exemplified by her demanding rendition of “Chi fu già del biondo crine.”

What a dull and boring father poor Bellezza had to suffer. Tenor Jorge Navarro Colorado’s portrait of Tempo was beautifully crafted to bring out his thoughtful, responsible and uninteresting demeanor. The fact that his children treated him like an old man seemed natural under the circumstances and made his smoking marijuana and dance routine all the more shocking and amusing. His first aria, “Urne voi, che racchiudete,” enabled him to show off the sensitivity with which he is able to craft the vocal line, in which his subtle ornamentation and attractive coloring caught the attention. Although he never allowed his emotions full rein, his use of well-placed emotional emphases, dynamic contrasts, and delicate phrasing ensured that his feelings were clearly displayed and were always informed by the text. There was nothing excessive in his performance; everything was successfully managed to bring out the beauty of the music.

In all respects, this was a thoughtful, dramatically insightful and musically strong presentation that overcame the static nature of the narrative with an imaginative staging.

The post Buxton International Festival 2024 Review: Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno appeared first on OperaWire.

Chen Reiss and Fleur Barron lead Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Conductor Alexander Liebreich.

Performance Date: Nov. 8, 2024

Cristina Faus and Javier Palacios perform a program alongside Mirian Khukhunaishvili of music by Schönberg and Mahler.

Performance Date: Dec. 4, 2024

Jessica Cale, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Gwilym Bowen, and Henry Waddington join The Sixteen and Harry Christophers in Händel’s “Messiah.”

Performance Date: Dec. 11, 2024

Marc Minkowski conducts J. Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” with a cast that includes Huw Montague Rendall, Iulia Maria Dan, Leon Košavić, Alina Wunderlin, Michael Kraus, Sandrine Buendia, Magnus Dietrich, Krešimir Špicer, Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein, and Manfred Schwaiger.

Performance Date: Dec. 22, 2024

Pascual Andreu performs the New Year’s Eve concert with José Vicente Ramón Segarra. The concert will include pieces by J. Strauss II, Puccini, Offenbach, and Tchaikovsky.

Performance Date: Jan. 2, 2025

Noah Bendix-Balgley, Sarah Wegener, and Christian Immler lead a program of music by Mozart and Zemilinsky. Alexander Liebreich conducts.

Performance Date: Jan. 10, 2025

Tim Mead, Rowan Pierce, Hilary Cronin, Frances Gregory, Anna Dennis, James Way, and Morgan Pearse lead Handel’s “Salomon.” Paul McCreesh conducts.

Performance Date: Jan. 19, 2025

Jone Martínez, Lea Elisabeth Müller, Juan Sancho, Carlos Mena, and Ferran Albrich leads Bach’s Mass in B Minor. Andrea Marcon conducts.

Performance Date: Feb. 28, 2025

Fabio Biondi conducts A. Vivaldi’s “Argippo” with Emoke Barath, Eleonora Bellocci, Giuseppina Bridelli, Fabrizio Beggi, and Ann Hallenberg.

Performance Date: March 11, 2025

T. Hosokawa’s “The maiden from the sea” will be performed by Ryoko Aoki and Christina Daletska. Alexander Liebreich conducts the program which also includes T. Hosokawa’s “Meditation to the victims of Tsunami (3.11).”

Performance Date: March 28, 2025

Sarah Wegener, Daniel Behle, and Liang Li star in Wagner’s Die Walkure” with Alexander Liebreich conducting.

Performance Date: April 4, 2025

Elisabeth Breuer, Anna Lucia Richter, Patrick Grahl, Thomas Hobbs, Matthew Brook, and Stephan Loges, perform Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Justin Doyle conducting.

Performance Date: April 10, 2025

The Coral Catedralicia de Valencia will join Daniel Reuss for Haydn’s Mass.

Performance Date: April 12, 2025

Sabine Devielilhe and Stéphane Degout join Raphaël Pichon for a concert entitled “Réquiem para Ophélie.” The concert will showcase fragments from Thomas’ “Hamlet” and Berlioz’s Funeral March from Hamlet. Fauré’s Réquiem will also be performed.

Performance Date: May 11, 2025

The post Palau de la Musica de Valencia Announces 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Here is a breakdown of the vocal performances on offer.

Dinis Sousa conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Massed Musical Forces of the North East in Tippett’s “A Child of Our Time.” Soloists include Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Dame Sarah Connolly, Nicky Spence, and Willard White.

Performance Date: Nov. 24, 2024

Dinis Sousa leads the Royal Northern Sinfonia in Händel’s “Messiah” with Amanda Forsythe, Reginald Mobley, Guy Cutting, and John Chest as the vocal soloists.

Performance Date: Dec. 15, 2024

Jennifer France headlines a New Year’s Day Concert with Nil Venditti and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Performance Date: Jan. 1, 2025

Sofi Jeannin conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia in music by Fauré with Hilary Cronin and Roderick Williams as the soloists.

Performance Date: Feb. 16, 2025

Antony Hermus conducts “Simon Boccanegra” in a performance by Opera North. The cast is headlined by Roland Wood, Sara Cortolezzis, Brindley Sherratt, Andrés Presno, and Mandla Mndebele.

Performance Date: May 2, 2025

Soprano Héloïse Werner presents her very own “The Cuckoo’s Hour’ alongside a program of works by Colin Alexander, John Hely, and Nico Muhly, among others. The soprano conducts the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Performance Date: May 31, 2025

Véronique Gens performs “Les Nuits d’été” with Riccardo Minasi conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia. The concert also includes music by Schubert and Mozart.

Performance Date: June 8, 2025

The post Amanda Forsythe, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Roderick Williams, Roland Wood, Jennifer France Headline Glasshouse International Centre for Music’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Jakub Józef Orliński and il Pomo d’Oro open the season with Beyoind.

Performance Date: Sept. 12, 2024

Véronique Gens, Fleur Barron, Laurence Kilsby, Stéphane Degout, Susan Manoff, and Julius Drake perform a Faure song gala.

Performance Date: Sept. 13, 2024

Laurence Kilsby and Ella O’Neill perform a concert entitled “All Things Truly Wicked Start from Innocence.”

Performance Date: Sept. 15, 2024

Alice Coote and Julius Drake perform Schubert.

Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2024

Tim Mead and Sergio Bucheli will perform Campion, Danyel, Dowland, and More.

Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2024

The Mozartists and Ian Page will perform Jommelli. The concert will include soloists Emily Pogorelc, Ambroisine Bré, and Stuart Jackson.

Performance Date: Sept. 18, 2024

The Wigmore French Song Exchange will be performed.

Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2024

Vox Luminis, Simon Robson, Tuomo Suni, and Lionel Meunier perform Purcell’s “King Arthur.”

Performance Date: Sept. 26, 2024

Malin Byström and Magnus Svensson perform Berg, Chaminade, Duparc, Faure, and more.

Performance Date: Nov. 16, 2024

Julien Van Mellaerts and Alphonse Cemin lead a program entitled Au Cimetiere de Montmartre. 

Performance Date: Nov. 17, 2024

Erin Morley and Huw Montague Rendall perform Wolf alongside Malcolm Martineau.

Performance Date: Nov. 19, 2024

Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet lead Philippe Estèphe in a program of music by Gounod, Aubert, Faure, Saint-Saens, and Guilmant.

Performance Date: Nov. 22, 2024

Shruthi Rajasekar leads a performance by The Hermes Experiment and Abel Selaocoe.

Performance Date: Nov. 23, 2024

Tara Erraught and James Baillieu lead a performance of music by Liszt, Loewe, Rossini, and Schubert.

Performance Date: Nov. 23, 2024

The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Geoffrey Paterson will perform a concert entitled “Secret Kiss.” Soloists include Alice Rossi and Meg Kubota.

Performance Date: Nov. 26, 2024

Claire Booth and Jâms Coleman lead a program that includes music by Ives, Martlew, Poulenc, and Gershwin, among others.

Performance Date: Nov 29, 2024

Daniel Kidane’s music will be performed by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Elgan Llŷr Thomas, and Pétur Jónasson.

Performance Date: Nov 30, 2024

Tenebrae performs Christmas Carols.

Performance Date: Dec. 4, 2024

Sophie Rennert and Graham Johnson perform Schubert. 

Performance Date: Dec. 5, 2024

Lucy Crowe and La Nuova Musica under David Bates celebrate the holiday season with Christmas carols.

Performance Date: Dec. 12, 2024

The Cardinall’s Musick takes on a performance entitled “Mirabile Mysterium.”

Performance Date: Dec. 13, 2024

Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber perform Schumann.

Performance Date: Dec. 16, 2024

Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber perform a second Schumann program.

Performance Date: Dec. 19, 2024

The Gesualdo Six take on a program entitled “Morning Star.”

Performance Date: Dec. 20, 2024

The Dunedin Consort alongside Rachel Redmond, Joanna Songi, Helen Charlston, Anthony Gregory, and Matthew Brook perform Caroline Shaw, Correlli, Locatelli, and Stradella.

Performance Date: Dec. 23, 2024

Niky Spence sings a program entitled “Twelfth Night” alongside Dylan Perez.

Performance Date: Dec. 29, 2024

The King Singers celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Performance Date: Dec. 31, 2024

The post Jakub Józef Orliński, Alice Coote, Malin Byström, Dame Sarah Connolly & Anne Sofie von Otter Lead Wigmore Hall’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

The English Concert marks its 50th anniversary with new releases of its legacy project, “Handel for All.”

This spring the group will put on a number of special concerts and events in celebration, whilst continuing to build its library of recordings of Händel’s works that are free and accessible.

Sopranos Jeanine de Bique and Liv Redpath, mezzo-soprano Maite Beaumont, countertenors Justin Kim and Iestyn Davies, tenor James Way, and bass Federico Sacchi are set to give another performance of Monteverdi’s “The Coronation of Poppea.” Harry Bicket will lead the concert version at the Palau de La Musica, Barcelona.

Performance Date: March 17, 2024

The London Handel Festival will feature Händel’s “Brockes Passion” at St George’s, Hanover Square. Harry Bicket directs sopranos Hilary Cronin, Elizabeth Watts, and Nardus Williams, alto Jess Dandy, tenor Robert Murray and bass Morgan Pearse and the orchestra.

Performance Date: March 27, 2024

Mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo joins Harry Bicket and The English Concert for an exploration into Händel and his contemporaries – Ferrandini and Corelli.

Performance Date: April 10, 2024

The Surrey Hills Music Festival stars Dame Sarah Connolly, under the direction of Harry Bicket for a performance celebrating Bach and Händel. The concert features Bicket’s arrangement of Bach’s “Trio über Allein Gott” and the overture to Händel’s “Theodora,” “Solomon,” and the “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.”

Performance Date: May 18, 2024

In partnership with Garsington Opera, The English Concert puts on performances of Rameau’s “Platé.” Tenor Samuel Boden will sing the title role. Soprano Mireille Asselin, tenor Robert Murray, baritone Jonathan McGovern, and basses Henry Waddington and Ossian Huskinson will also be among the cast. Paul Agnew will make his Garsington Opera debut as conductor.

Performance Date: May 29 – June 30, 2024

The post The English Concert Marks 50th Anniversary With New ‘Handel for All’ Releases appeared first on OperaWire.

Inspired by Milton’s poetry and compiled in a libretto by Charles Jennens, Handel’s work captures a spectrum of human emotions, from joy to melancholy set against an English rural and urban backdrop.

The tour schedule is as follows.

Mass in B Minor & “L’Allegro, ed il Moderato”

Performance Dates: Oct. 20 & 21, 2023, at Harris Theater, Chicago

Mass in B Minor & “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”

Performance Date: Oct. 23, 2023, at Richardson Auditorium, Princeton

Mass in B Minor

Performance Date: Oct. 25 & 26, 2023, at Carnegie Hall

Mass in B Minor & “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”

Performance Date: Oct. 28, 2023, at Paroisse Saint Francois d’Assisse, Ottawa

“L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”

 Performance Date: Oct. 31, 2023 at St Martin-in-the Fields, London

Soloists for “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” include Alex Ashworth, Samantha Clarke, Hilary Cronin, Sarah Denbee, Jonathan Hanley, Bethany Horak-Hallett, Frederick Long, Alison Ponsford-Hill, and Nick Pritchard

Soloists for Mass in B Minor include Alex Ashworth, Hilary Cronin, Jonathan Hanley, Bethany Horak-Hallett, Frederick Long, Reginald Mobley, and Nick Pritchard

The post Monteverdi Choir to Present Works by Bach & Handel on U.S. Tour appeared first on OperaWire.

The English Concert has announced its 2023-24 season. This article features vocal works only.

Countertenor Iestyn Davies returns to the BBC Proms to perform “Late Night Bach.” Davies will perform two of Bach’s solo cantatas, “Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust” and “Geist und Seele wird verdwirret” at the Royal Albert Hall.

Performance Date: August 25, 2023

A concert version of Händel’s “Amadigi di Gaula”  takes place at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Kristian Bezuidenhout leads countertenor Tim Mead in the title role with sopranos Hilary Cronin as Oriana and Mary Bevan as Melissa, and countertenor Hugh Cutting as Dardano.

Performance Date: September 21, 2023

Harry Bicket conducts Händel’s “Acis and Galatea” at Boughton House starring tenor James Way and Soprano Hilary Cronin in the title lead roles. Tenor Gwilym Bowen joins as Damon, and baritone Neal Davies as Polypheme.

Performance Date: September 23, 2023

Iestyn Davies and sopranos Ailish Tynan and Joélle Harvey give a concert performance of Händel’s cantata “Clori, Tirsi and Fileno” at Wigmore Hall. Harry Bicket conducts.

Performance Date: October 18, 2023

Händel’s “Rodelinda” is presented with soprano Lucy Crowe in the title role; countertenors Iestyn Davies as Bertarido and Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as Unulfo; tenor Eric Ferring as Grimoaldo; mezzo-soprano Christine Rice as Eduige; and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel as Garibaldo. Harry Bicket conducts.

Performances take place at Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles Opera, Shanghai Concert Hall as part of the Shanghai International Arts Festival, Incheon Arts Centre in South Korea, Saffron Hall and at Carnegie Hall.

Performance Dates: November 19, 21, 26, 28, December 2, & 10, 2023

A concert version of Monteverdi’s “The Coronation of Poppea” features soprano Jeanine de Bique as Poppea; countertenors Justin Kim as Nerone and Iestyn Davies as Ottone; soprano Liv Redpath as Drusilla; tenor James Way as Lucano; mezzo-soprano Maite Beaumont as Ottavia; and bass David Shipley as Seneca. Harry Bicket conducts at Auditorio Nacional, Madrid.

Performance Date: March 16, 2024

The English Concert returns to Garsington Opera with performances of Rameau’s “Platée” conducted by Paul Agnew and directed by Louisa Muller.

Performance Date: TBA

The post Iestyn Davies, Lucy Crowe, & Tim Mead Headline The English Concert’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Opera Rara: present Donizetti and Friends with Lawrence Brownlee, Etienne Dupuis, and Carlo Rizzi.

Performance Date: Sept. 9, 2023

Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas perform Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky.

Performance Date: Sept. 9, 2023

Ensemble Modern and George Benjamin perform music by Bach, Ravel, Saed Haddad, Schoenberg and Varèse. Anna Prohaska is the soloist.

Performance Date: Sept. 12, 2023

Benjamin Appl and David Fray perform works by Hahn, Haydn, R Schumann, and Schubert

Performance Date: Sept. 14, 2023

Ruby Hughes and the United Strings of Europe join forces for music by Errollyn Wallen, Joanna Marsh, L Boulanger, N Boulanger, and Osvaldo Golijov.

Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2023

The Mozartists and Ian Page lead Rebecka Wallroth in Arias for Rauzzini (MOZART 250).

Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2023

“Wigmore French Song Exchange” will be get a showcase.

Performance Date: Sept. 20, 2023

The Wigmore Soloists and Carolyn Sampson take on the music of Beethoven, Schubert, and Spohr.

Performance Date: Sept. 21, 2023

Günther Groissböck and Malcolm Martineau perform “A Man’s Love and Life.”

Performance Date: Sept. 22, 2023

Regula Mühlemann and Tatiana Korsunskaya lead a program of music by Argento, Bridge, Schubert and Strauss.

Performance Date: Sept. 26, 2023

Wigmore French Song Exchange will get another showcase.

Performance Date: Sept. 27, 2023

Evelina Dobračeva, Mikhail Petrenko, and Iain Burnside showcase music by Alexandrov, Gnesin, Myaskovsky and more.

Performance Date: Sept. 28, 2023

Magdalena Kožená and Mitsuko Uchida present two programs of music by Debussy and Messiaen.

Performance Dates: Oct. 8 & 9, 2023

Lise Davidsen and James Baillieu perform works by Berg, Grieg, Schubert, and Sibelius.

Performance Date: Oct. 13, 2023

The Nash Ensemble and Lucy Crowe headline a program entitled “From My Homeland.” The program includes music from the Czech Lands with works by Brahms.

Performance Date: Oct. 14, 2023

The English Concert and Harry Bicket lead a Händel program. Mary Bevan and Iestyn Davies are the soloists.

Performance Date: Oct. 18, 2023

Helen Charlston and Sholto Kynoch lead a program entitled “A Poet’s Love.”

Performance Date: Oct. 23, 2023

Lucy Crowe and Anna Tilbrook ring in the season with “Autumn Leaves.”

Performance Date: Oct. 26, 2023

“The Family Workshop: Song Explorers” will be presented.

Performance Date: Oct. 27, 2023

Tara Erraught and James Baillieu celebrate Victoria de los Ángeles’ Centenary.

Performance Date: Oct. 28, 2023

Mingjie Lei and Jan Philip Schulze lead a program of music by Brahms, Long Wang, Purcell, Rachmaninov, and Weill.

Performance Date: Oct. 29, 2023

Dame Sarah Connolly, Hélène Clément, and Joseph Middleton take on the music of Brahms, Bridge, Errollyn Wallen, G Mahler, and Rubbra.

Performance Date: Nov. 3, 2023

Alessandro Fisher and Libby Burgess perform Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Poulenc.

Performance Date: Nov. 5, 2023

The Apartment House, Robin Tritschler, and Brett Dean headline a program of music by Brett Dean, Britten, Hans Abrahamsen, Maxwell Davies, and Schubert.

Performance Date: Nov. 6, 2023

Barber, Chopin, and Rachmaninov make up the program featuring Magdalena Kuźma and James Baillieu.

Performance Date: Nov. 7, 2023

Andrew Watts and Iain Burnside headline “A Countertenor Songbook.”

Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2023

Ilker Arcayürek and Ammiel Bushakevitz present “Richard Tauber – A journey from Vienna to London.”

Performance Date: Nov. 12, 2023

La Nuova Musica, David Bates and Anthony Roth Costanzo team up for music by Bologne, Gluck, Mozart, and Rameau.

Performance Date: Nov. 15, 2023

Harriet Burns and Ian Tindale perform music by Schubert.

Performance Date: Nov. 17, 2023

The Nash Ensemble and Renata Pokupić return for “From My Homeland.” The program includes “Music from the Czech Lands” with works by Brahms.

Performance Date: Nov. 18, 2023

Sophie Bevan and Ryan Wigglesworth lead a program of music by G Mahler, Müller-Hermann, and Schubert.

Performance Date: Nov. 19, 2023

Louise Alder is joined by Joseph Middleton, Doric String Quartet, Amina Hussain, Rachael Clegg, Harry Penny, Mark Bennett, and Guylaine Eckersley for Canteloube, Fauré, and Ravel.

Performance Date: Nov. 23, 2023

Gihoon Kim and Simon Lepper perform the BBC Cardiff Singer Recital.

Performance Date: Nov. 26, 2023

Ema Nikolovska and Kunal Lahiry headline a recital of music by Copland, Messiaen, Nahre Sol, Prokofiev, and Schubert.

Performance Date: Nov. 26, 2023

Sir Willard White celebrates Christmas with Eugene Asti. The program includes works by Barber, Bernstein, Copland, and more.

Performance Date: Dec. 1, 2023

Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton lead “But I like to sing…”

Performance Date: Dec. 6, 2023

Stile Antico performs “This joyful birth.”

Performance Date: Dec. 8, 2023

The Nash Ensemble continues its series “From My Homeland” – “Music from the Czech Lands” with works by Brahms. Roderick Williams is the soloist.

Performance Date: Dec. 9, 2023

“Love’s Philosophy” is the title of Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside’s recital.

Performance Date: Dec. 11, 2023

Miah Persson and Magnus Svensson perform Nordic Songs to Wigmore Hall’s audience.

Performance Date: Dec. 15, 2023

The London Handel Players and Adrian Butterfield will showcase “Bach Christmas Cantatas and Magnificat” with soloists Hilary Cronin, Anna Dennis, Daniel Taylor, Charles Daniels, and Jerome Knox.

Performance Date: Dec. 18, 2023

Dorothea Röschmann, Scott Dickinson, and Malcolm Martineau lead a Brahms and Wagner program.

Performance Date: Dec. 20, 2023

The Siglo de Oro will be led by Patrick Allies with the Spinacino Consort, Tom Hollister, and Callum Armstrong. The group will celebrate the holiday season.

Performance Date: Dec. 22, 2023

James Newby and Joseph Middleton perform “Songs of Antiquity.”

Performance Date: Dec. 28, 2023

Les Arts Florissants and William Christie ring in the New Year with Hugh Cutting and Carlo Vistoli.

Performance Date: Dec. 31, 2023

Ruby Hughes returns for a second performance following her autumn recital. Joseph Middleton performs on piano.

Performance Date: Jan. 2, 2024

Ian Bostridge takes the Wigmore stage for the first time in the season. Andreas Haefliger performs.

Performance Date: Jan. 6, 2024

Phantasm is joined by Anna Prohaska.

Performance Date: Jan. 10, 2024

Elsa Dreisig performs in recital.

Performance Date: Jan. 14, 2024

Kristina Mkhitaryan and Andrey Zhilikhovsky are joined by Michael Foyle and Iain Burnside.

Performance Date: Jan. 17, 2024

Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber perform lieder.

Performance Date: Jan. 20, 2024

The Armida Quartet perform alongside Lotte Betts-Dean.

Performance Date: Jan. 22, 2024

La Nuova Musica performs alongside Lucy Crowe.

Performance Date: Jan. 26, 2024

Nardus Williams performs alongside lutist Elizabeth Kenny.

Performance Date: Jan. 28, 2024

Jakub Józef Orliński and Michał Biel perform baroque music.

Performance Date: Feb. 1, 2024

Julian Prégardien and Eric Le Sage perform in recital.

Performance Date: Feb. 8, 2024

The Sixteen will be led in concert by Harry Christophers.

Performance Date: Feb. 11, 2024

Ashley Riches and Joseph Middleton team up for an evening of song.

Performance Date: Feb. 12, 2024

Carolyn Sampson gives a third recital.

Performance Date: Feb. 14, 2024

Gemma Summerfield returns to Wigmore.

Performance Date: Feb. 18, 2024

Martin Mitterrutzner and Gerold Huber team up for a concert.

Performance Date: Feb. 20, 2024

The Wigmore Hall Voices of Today will be joined by Hilda Paredes and the Riot Ensemble

Performance Date: Feb. 24, 2024

Roman Arndt and Llŷr Williams give a recital.

Performance Date: Feb. 25, 2024

Katharina Konradi gives a second recital in the season.

Performance Date: Feb. 26, 2024

Florian Boesch and Malcolm Martineau perform an evening of lieder.

Performance Date: Feb. 29, 2024

Héloïse Werner and Helen Charlston perform alongside harpist Anne Denholm and pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen.

Performance Date: March 2, 2024

Lucile Richardot and Anne de Fornel perform in concert.

Performance Date: March 4, 2024

Baritone Andrè Schuen brings his acclaimed lieder interpretation to London.

Performance Date: March 7, 2024

Gweneth Ann Rand returns to the Wigmore Hall.

Performance Date: March 8, 2024

The Nash Ensemble continues its series with baritone Konstantin Krimmel.

Performance Date: March 9, 2024

Tim Mead joins Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien for a concert performance.

Performance Date: March 11, 2024

Rowan Pierce and Richard Egarr perform.

Performance Date: March 17, 2024

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha sings a solo recital.

Performance Date: March 18, 2024

Louise Alder gives her second recital of the season alongside Joseph Middleton.

Performance Date: March 25, 2024

The Nash Ensemble collaborates with Claire Booth for two nights.

Performance Date: March 26 & 27, 2024

Theodore Platt and Keval Shah perform.

Performance Date: April 7, 2024

Alice Coote takes the stage on Wigmore Hall.

Performance Date: April 9, 2024

Véronique Gens and Susan Manoff team up in recital.

Performance Date: April 15, 2024

Maria Motolygina, Dmytro Popov, and Dmitri Cheblykov team up with pianist Iain Burnside.

Performance Date: April 17, 2024

Sabine Devieilhe and Mathieu Pordoy take the stage for a program of song.

Performance Date: April 21, 2024

The Kathleen Ferrier Awards SemiFinal 2024 will be held.

Performance Date: April 24, 2024

Roderick Williams sings his third recital alongside Roger Vignoles.

Performance Date: April 24, 2024

The Kathleen Ferrier Awards finals 2024 will take place.

Performance Date: April 26, 2024

Soprano Julie Fuchs takes the Wigmore stage.

Performance Date: April 28, 2024

Hugh Cutting gives a solo concert.

Performance Date: May 6, 2024

Ian Bostridge performs lieder.

Performance Date: May 8, 2024

Countertenor Iestyn Davies performs an evening of song.

Performance Date: May 10, 2024

Ema Nikolovska returns for another evening following a fall performance.

Performance Date: May 14, 2024

Konstantin Krimmel brings his acclaimed lieder interpretations to Wigmore Hall.

Performance Date: May 18, 2024

The Collegium Vocale Gent performs.

Performance Date: May 24, 2024

Paula Murrihy brings her vocalism to the London hall.

Performance Date: May 29, 2024

The Wigmore Hall Voices of Today will be led by composer Francesco Antonioni and the Castalian String Quartet.

Performance Date: June 1, 2024

Louise Alder returns to Wigmore Hall.

Performance Date: June 2, 2024

Natalia Kutateladze and Rodion Pogossov perform a joint evening alongside Iain Burnside.

Performance Date: June 7, 2024

Sir András Schiff is joined by Ema Nikolovska for a recital.

Performance Date: June 8, 2024

Cyrille Dubois and Tristan Raës perform.

Performance Date: June 9, 2024

Angela Hewitt and Gerald Finley team up for an evening of song.

Performance Date: June 13, 2024

Stuart Jackson and Julius Drake lead a summer recital.

Performance Date: June 16, 2024

Katharina Konradi and Ammiel Bushakevitz join together.

Performance Date: June 17, 2024

Thomas Quasthoff gives two Masterclasses.

Performance Date: June 19 & 20, 2024

Following masterclasses, Thomas Quasthoff gives a recital.

Performance Date: June 21, 2024

Ronan Collett and Nicholas Rimmer perform.

Performance Date: June 23, 2024

James Newby returns for another performance.

Performance Date: June 24, 2024

Tim Mead gives another recital.

Performance Date: June 27, 2024

The Wigmore Hall Voices of Today are joined by Jocelyn Campbell and Riot Ensemble.

Performance Date: June 29, 2024

Sofia Fomina returns to Wigmore Hall.

Performance Date: June 30, 2024

Nicky Spence and Malcolm Martineau team up for a summer recital.

Performance Date: July 11, 2024

Matthias Goerne and Alexandre Kantorow perform.

Performance Date: July 23, 2024

Matthias Goerne returns for a second performance.

Performance Date: July 25, 2024

The post Lise Davidsen, Benjamin Appl, Magdalena Kožená & Regula Mühlemann Lead Wigmore Hall’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.