Les Talens Lyriques at Salle Cortot 2025 Review: Mezzo-Soprano Ambroisine Bré With Harpsichordist & Conductor Christophe Rousset

(Photo: © Les Talens Lyriques) The Salle Cortot was built in 1929 by architect Auguste Perret and is adjacent to the École Normale de Musique de Paris, founded by Alfred Cortot in 1919. The performance hall is dedicated to teaching French music to local and international students. It hosts intimate concerts and recitals for approximately 400 audience members and is {…}

Oct 19, 2025

Opéra National de Lorraine 2025 Review: Orlando

(Photo:© Jean-Louis Fernandez) Handel’s opera seria “Orlando” took place at the Nancy Opera House from October 3 to 9, in co-production with the Théâtre du Chatelet, the Théâtre de Caen, and the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg, where it will be performed on November 16 and 17. This production would have been almost perfect, if… But let’s see… Production Details The {…}

Apr 23, 2025

Teatro alla Scala 2024-25 Review: L’opera seria

(Photo credit: Brescia and Amisano) “I should reproach myself even more if I were to allow myself to be credited with the initiative for the new genre of Italian opera … it is to my librettist Calzabigi that the main credit goes …” Gluck, letter of 1775 Let us speak directly of the opera at hand, recently brought to the {…}

Apr 16, 2025

Teatro alla Scala 2024-25 Review: L’opera seria

(Photo credit: Brescia and Amisano) One of the most common phenomena of the 18th century was the pilgrimage of European composers to Italy, seeking to immerse themselves in the “alla italiana” compositional technique and then return to their homelands to apply this revolutionary formula. Such was the case of Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729–1774), who left his native Bohemia to settle {…}

Dec 19, 2024

HamburgMusik 2024-25 Review: English Baroque Soloists / Monteverdi Choir / Christophe Rousset

(Photo: Daniel Dittus) 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 {…}

Oct 2, 2024

Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2024: Ifigenia in Aulide

(Photo credit: Photos: Clemens Manser/Falk von Traubenber) As an opera composer Nicola Antonio Porpora gained advantage over his rivals by tailoring his works to the singers’ voices, and he gained popularity among singers because he was a well-known voice teacher. Even today, when experiencing Porpora’s opera “Ifigenia in Aulide” at Bayreuth’s Baroque Opera Festival, one cannot ignore the skill with {…}

Sep 11, 2024

Q & A: Christophe Rousset on Porpora’s ‘Ifigenia in Aulide’ & Les Talens Lyriques Orchestra at Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2024

(Photo credit: Ignacio Barrios) Bayreuth Baroque Festival has been awarded “The Best Festival of 2024” by Germany’s Oper! Awards. The first season began in 2020 with a staged production of Nicola Antonio Porpora’s “Carlo il Calvo”, and an opera in concert version of “Gismondo, Re di Polonia” by Leonardo Vinci and libretto by Francesco Briani’s Il Vincitor Generoso. The orchestras {…}

Aug 22, 2024

Christophe Rousset Joins Monteverdi Choir for Christmas Tour

(Credit: Courtesy of Les Talens Lyriques) The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras has announced that Christophe Rousset will lead the ensemble MCO for its upcoming Baroque Christmas tour. Rousset will make his MCO conducting debut this December before leading concerts at the Teatro alla Scala and the ensembles’ home at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Rousset’s appointment follows the announcement that conductor and MCO {…}

Jun 5, 2024

Les Talens Lyriques Unveils 2024-25 Season

Les Talens Lyriques, led by Christophe Rousset, has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of the season. The ensemble heads to the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival to present “Ifigenia in Aulide” with Jasmin Delfs, Max Emanuel Cencic, Dennis Orellana, Olena Leser, Nicolò Balducci, and Daniel Giulianini. Giorgina Germanou directs. Performance Dates: Sept. 5-15, 2024 Then comes “Aroma di Roma,” {…}

Apr 16, 2024

CD Review: Michael Spyres’ ‘In the Shadows’

“In the Shadows” is the title of baritenor Michael Spyres’ latest solo recital for Erato and Warner Classics. It traces a musical genealogy from Méhul, Weber, and Auber to the Romantic period of Wagner whose “Rienzi” and “Lohengrin” are, to various extents, the culmination point of the artistic developments since the early 19th century. Musical Ancestry The program is certainly {…}