(Photo: studio visuell) At 80-years-old, René Jacobs shows no signs of relinquishing his throne as the high priest of Baroque opera—a profound blessing for early music devotees. Following his acclaimed 2022 staged production with the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Akamus, Jacobs has returned to “Il Giustino” (1724) for a European concert tour, this time partnering with the Freiburger {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünschloß) This year, Karlsruhe curated a true weekend feast for Baroque enthusiasts: staging two Handel operas in a single day! The organizers even meticulously accounted for the expected performance durations of “Tamerlano” by pushing back the evening performance of “Atalanta.” It was not merely a schedule; it was a curated emotional arc that tested the endurance of the {…}
(Photo: Philippe Matsas) On May 12th, the Kammermusiksaal of the Berliner Philharmonie witnessed a gripping concert performance of Händel’s “Tamerlano,” with a refined ensemble of soloists, supported by the Freiburger Barockorchester under the direction of René Jacobs. In an era where Baroque opera is often presented with elaborate visual stagings, one might ask: what can the concert format still achieve, {…}
(Photo Credit: Claudia Hoehne) René Jacobs’ concert performance of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” at the Elbphilharmonie provided a resplendent conclusion to Hamburg’s Amadeus Festival, bringing the celebration of Mozart’s genius to a fittingly grand finale. This semi-staged version was a testament to how a concert performance can achieve full theatricality. Compared to his 2009 recording, Jacobs presented a fresh and immediate interpretation, {…}
Photo: Bjorn Hickmann Stage Picture For the first time, Germany’s Oper! Awards were hosted outside Berlin, in a ceremony held at Theater Dortmund, to mark its award for Gemany’s best opera house. Clearly proud of its achievement, the theatre pulled out all the stops. Lasting over four hours, the ceremony consisted of 19 awards, taking in achievements from all aspects {…}