(Photo Credits: H. Paul Moon) Performed among the foliage and resplendences of Campos Community Garden in New York City, one of a myriad of analogous respites, sanctuaries if you will, from the tyranny of cement and metal, the monotonous timbres and assaults of the urban soundscape, and the droning apathy and cold banality of inner-city dwelling, the caressing melodiousness of {…}
(Photo: Elisa Andreassi) Barocco Europeo, founded by Donatella Busetto, is a small association aimed at promoting early music through concerts, masterclasses, seminars and staged operas mainly, although not exclusively, in the north-east of Italy. It is a small-scale operation on a limited budget and tends to perform in small theaters in towns and cities of various sizes, with variable opportunities {…}
(Photo: Falk von Traubenburg) Max Cenčić has a long-established reputation as a sensitive and technically brilliant virtuoso countertenor. However, over the past six or seven years, he has also become increasingly known for his skills as a stage director owing to a string of stunning productions, such as Hasse’s “Siroe,” which he toured in 2017. In 2020, he was appointed {…}
Photo: Michele Crosera In 1707, Händel arrived in Rome and soon made the acquaintance of important members of the papacy, including Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj, from whom he received his first major libretto, “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno.” Because public performances of operas in Rome had been forbidden by papal ban in 1703, Handel made this an oratorio. Although {…}
(Photo: Alciro Theodoro da Silva) The centerpiece of this year’s International Handel Festival in Göttingen was five performances of the composer’s 1644 music drama “Semele,” in a new production conducted and directed by the festival’s artistic director George Petrou. At the final curtain, the audience greeted the cast with a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. The bravos rang out around the {…}
(Photo: Alciro Theodoro da Silva) Having survived the Reformation, allied bombing during World War Two and even an arson attack in 2005, Göttingen’s St. Johannis’ Church, which can trace its roots back to at least 1272, stands proudly overlooking the streets of the city’s historical centre. The current church, which dates back to the 14th century, has been added to {…}
At the age of 21, mezzo-soprano Giuseppina Bridelli made her professional debut in the role of Despina under the baton of Diego Fasolis, since which time she has been on what appears to be a never-ending upward trajectory. Now firmly established as one of the leading interpreters of the baroque repertoire, she is an artist constantly in demand, performing at {…}
Detroit Opera performed George Friederich Handel’s opera “Xerxes,” written from 1737 to 1738, on commission by the King’s Theatre in London. With a change of hands only months behind, Yuval Sharon has a huge legacy to continue, which was frustrated by the opera’s subpar performance. With a stellar orchestra but a shaky cast, Detroit Opera’s renovated Handel was a very {…}
On April 7, 2023, The Royal Choral Society will present Händel’s “Messiah” at the Royal Albert Hall. Falling upon Good Friday, the performance has become a beloved London tradition since its beginning in 1876; since then, only the 1940-41 Blitz and the 2020-21 COVID pandemic have managed to derail a performance. This performance will be conducted by Music Director Richard {…}
On April 6, 2023, Opera Atelier will conclude its 2022-23 season with Händel’s “The Resurrection.” Held at Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, the performance marks the Canadian premiere of the work in a fully-staged production for a live audience. Conductor David Fallis will conduct Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, with the Artists of Atelier Ballet performing choreography by Founding {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) Elites within society are nothing new. However, over the latter part of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century, we have witnessed the emergence of an increasingly powerful elite who possess significant global interests yet apparently display little attachment to any specific country. It is an elite that is accumulating wealth and income {…}