This week audiences will get a number of baroque releases from artists who specialize in the music as well as some contemporary and experimental releases. Here is a look.

Rune – Fashion Opera

Divine Art will be releasing the third in composer Alastair White’s series of “fashion-operas.” The album is the world premiere recording and is an audio version of the live premiere production which was presented as part of Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival 2021, but with remastered HD sound.

Kings in the North

Tomas Kral releases his new album which was recorded at the Opera Bayreuth Baroque Festival. Kral is joined by the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra under the musical direction of Jarosław Thiel. The album includes music by Heinichen, Handel, Schürmann, Telemann, Keiser, and Ariosti and is devoted to the fabled heroes of the West Goths, the Lombards, and Swedish kings.

Fairytales

Pianist Daniel Beskow and mezzo-soprano Josefine Andersson collaborate on the latest album by label ARS Produktion. The album searches for and discovers the musical pieces which show connections to the fables’ illustrations. In Sweden, “Fairytales“ became a hugely successful stage play. The present recording was completed this past spring in the Immanuelkirche Church in Wuppertal, Germany, and is based on nearly one hundred programmatic concerts of the duo.

L’Orfeo

Naxos releases a production of “L’Orfeo” with Jordi Savall conducting at the Opéra Comique. Pauline Bayle directs the production which starred baritone Marc Mauillon and mezzo-soprano Luciana Mancini in the roles of Orpheus and Euridice, along with mezzo Sara Mingardo as La Messaggiera and baritone Furio Zanasi as Apollo. The cast also includes mezzo Marianne Beate Kielland and bass Salvo Vitale. Savall leads La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert des Nations.

Giulio Cesare

Unitel releases a production of Händel’s masterwork from the Theater an der Wien. Keith Warner directed the production which starred countertenor Bejun Mehta in the title role, soprano Louise Alder as Cleopatra, countertenors Jake Arditti as Sesto and Christophe Dumaux as Tolomeo and mezzo-soprano Patricia Bardon as Cornelia. Ivor Bolton led the Concentus Musicus Wien.