A Baroque Summer Across the Globe: from Paraguay to Northe America, from Spain to Estonia

Alessandro Severo by Handel in Český Krumlov (Czech Republic)

The International Music Festival of Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic sold out both of its opera performances this year, held in its baroque theatre — one of the few in Europe preserved in original condition. Handel’s Alessandro Severo was presented there for the first time in the Czech Republic, in a staging by Monika Hosmanová, with Collegium Marianum conducted by Jana Semerádová.

With Hana Blažíková, Sylva Čmugrová, Helena Kalambová, Tereza Zimková, Vojtěch Pelka, Jaromír Nosek, the Collegium Marianum and Jana Semerádová.

Ariadne Alive in Zadar (Croatia)

A premiere in an exceptional setting for Ariadne Alive in Zadar, Croatia, during Saint Donatus Festival: the pre-Romanesque church of Saint Donatus — the Venetian “Zara” — built in the 9th century on a circular plan atop the ruins of the Roman forum, served as the backdrop for this performance created by Olivier Lexa and Katarina Livljanić, based on texts by Ovid.

With Pino De Vittorio, Albrecht Maurer, Norbert Rodenkirchen, Bor Zuljan, the ensemble Dialogos and Katarina Livljanić.

Hervé Niquet and Striggio in Saintes (France)

For the closing weekend of the Saintes Festival, Hervé Niquet and his Concert Spirituel presented Extravagances of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque, including the monumental Mass for 40 Voices by Alessandro Striggio. A pinnacle of contrapuntal art in Europe, this work of unprecedented scale and sensuality was composed at the Medici court in Florence. Performed by the composer in the grandest European courts and admired by many musicians, the piece mysteriously disappeared for more than four centuries… until it was rediscovered by chance by Dominique Visse at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

With Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet.

💬 Read Hervé Niquet’s portrait interview in Total Baroque Magazine.

Nevermind at Festiwal Bachowski Świdnica (Poland)

The ensemble Nevermind took the audience of the Festiwal Bachowski Świdnica in Poland on a journey through 18th-century chamber music, performing quartets by Georg Philipp Telemann and Jean-Baptiste Quentin. In the Church of Peace, the subtle interplay of instruments — flute, violin, viola da gamba, harpsichord/organ — showcased Telemann’s innovation and Quentin’s French elegance.

With ensemble Nevermind.

Martyna Pastuszka and {oh!} Orkiestra in Haapsalu (Estonia)

The Haapsalu Festival in Estonia dedicated a full day to Polish artists. In Haapsalu Cathedral, Martyna Pastuszka and her ensemble {oh!} Orkiestra presented well-known melodies from the 17th and 18th centuries: P. Gautier, J. Marchand, J. Dowland, J. Schop.

With Michaela Koudelková, Anna Firlus, Thomas Pokrzywiński, Mauro Pinciaroli, {oh!} Orkiestra and Martyna Pastuszka.

Giulio Cesare, Dmitry Tcherniakov and Emmanuelle Haïm in Salzburg

A Salzburg premiere for Handel’s Giulio Cesare and a new collaboration between stage director Dmitry Tcherniakov and conductor Emmanuelle Haïm, leading Le Concert d’Astrée. True German-style Regietheater, in a bunker/atomic shelter set that put the singers’ physical endurance to the test.

With Christophe Dumaux, Olga Kulchynska, Lucile Richardot, Federico Fiorio, Yuriy Mynenko, Salzburger Bachchor, Le Concert d’Astrée and Emmanuelle Haïm.

Franco Fagioli and the Opéra Royal de Versailles on North American Tour

California, New York, Montreal, Toronto: a first for Franco Fagioli and the Opéra Royal de Versailles. A five-date North American tour acclaimed by the press, notably at the Lanaudière Festival near Montreal, the leading classical festival in Canada. Franco Fagioli performed arias for Velutti, the last castrato.

With Franco Fagioli, Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles and Stephan Plewniak.

Anna Danilevskaia and Sollazzo in Bruges and Antwerp

A highly international summer for Anna Danilevskaia and her ensemble Sollazzo. Following the opening of the MA Festival in Bruges with a 25-musician line-up and a programme titled Medieval Splendour and Magnificence (Johannes Pullois, Guillaume Dufay, Matteo da Perugia), the ensemble gave concerts and masterclasses at Juilliard School in New York and in Drottningholm, Sweden. They then performed at Laus Polyphoniae in Antwerp before heading to the Utrecht Festival. Next concert: early September in Liège, dedicated to the Leuven Chansonnier.

With Anna Danilevskaia and the ensemble Sollazzo.

💬 Discover the story of the Leuven Chansonnier in Total Baroque Magazine.

South American Bach Festival in Asunción (Paraguay)

During the second half of July, the South American Bach Festival took place in Asunción. Over ten days, the festival offered more than twenty events: concerts, lectures, masterclasses, workshops, talks, and activities for children, featuring both national and international artists. Dietrich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri was performed in the cathedrals of Villarrica and Caazapá, and in the Church of San Francisco in Asunción.

With, among others, Paraguay Barroco and Alexandre Chauffaud.

Scarlatti, Ana Vieira Leite and Carlos Mena in Granada

As part of the Granada Festival of Music and Dance, Ana Vieira Leite and Carlos Mena — both singing and conducting — paid tribute to Alessandro Scarlatti with two cantatas preserved at the National Library in Madrid, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the composer’s death. The programme also included works by Francesco Durante. The concert took place in the stunning setting of the Cartuja Monastery church, rightly considered one of the finest examples of Spanish baroque architecture.

With Ana Vieira Leite and Carlos Mena.

💬 Read Ana Vieira Leite’s tour diary in Total Baroque Magazine.