From Handel to Scarlatti, with Dufay and the rebellious nun Tarabotti along the way, the baroque world has resonated this week from Ascona to Berlin, Copenhagen, Basel and the United States. 
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Cappella Pratensis in San Diego, Chicago, Boston and New York
At St James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla, the ensemble Cappella Pratensis was invited by the San Diego Early Music Society. They performed Guillaume Dufay’s Missa Ecce ancilla Domini, set within the ritual framework of the Missa aurea—the “Golden Mass” as it was celebrated in the fifteenth century. In this semi-staged liturgical drama, the eight singers, gathered around a single choirbook, took on the roles of Gabriel and Mary, recreating a sound world that was both medieval and intimate. Their American tour continues at the University of Chicago, Boston College, and Music Before 1800 in New York.
With the Cappella Pratensis.
Handel’s Athalia marks 80 years of the Settimane Musicali di Ascona (Switzerland)
Handel’s third English oratorio—after Esther and Deborah—and a rarely performed work, Athalia was presented by Ton Koopman’s Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir at the closing concert of the Settimane Musicali di Ascona, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
With Suzanne Jerosme, Ilse Eerens, Tim Mead, Kieran White, Andreas Wolf, Merel van Geest, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir and Ton Koopman.
Homage to Arcangela Tarabotti by the Lautten Compagney in Berlin
In Berlin, the ensemble Lautten Compagney brought the SICHTweisen festival to a close with a tribute to Arcangela Tarabotti. A seventeenth-century nun and writer, Tarabotti campaigned for women’s access to education and personal freedom. Her texts, read by actress Constanze Becker, alternated with Italian baroque music by her contemporaries, performed by Maria Ladurner and Philipp Mathmann. Directed by Gerd Amelung, the Lautten Compagney offered a vivid dialogue between word and sound.
The project Nonne wider Willen (Nun Against Her Will), supported by Berlin’s Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, forms part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Museum Island in partnership with the National Museums in Berlin.
With Maria Ladurner, Philipp Mathmann, the Lautten Compagney and Gerd Amelung.
Baroktoberfest with the Camerata Øresund in Copenhagen
Baroque music, convivial gatherings and folk dancing set the tone for Camerata Øresund’s Baroktoberfest. This joyful and unconventional festival featured four concerts over two days, 24 and 25 October, celebrating the diversity and versatility of the baroque: Westhoff, Biber, Dowland, alongside folk music and dance—unexpected encounters that delighted both audiences and performers alike.
With, among others, Steven Yeseta, Jana Semerádová and the Camerata Øresund.
Three Centuries of Scarlatti in Basel with La Giuditta
From Alessandro Scarlatti’s La Giuditta, listeners usually know only the famous aria “Dormi, o fulmine di guerra”, a concert piece in its own right. At Basel’s Pauluskirche, the 300th anniversary of the composer’s death was marked by a rare performance of the complete oratorio, presented in the three-soloist “Cambridge” version and performed by La Cetra Barockorchester Basel.
With Benedetta Zanotto, Isabel Mazzucato, Jacob Lawrence, La Cetra and Andrea Buccarella.
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