Brussels, London, New York, Lisbon, Versailles, Leipzig

Brussels: the underground Coudenberg Sound Box Festival

Utopia Ensemble and Il Gardellino took the stage in succession for the first double concert of the Coudenberg Sound Box Festival, held in the underground remains of Brussels’ Coudenberg Palace — once the splendid residence of the Dukes of Brabant, expanded by Charles V and completely destroyed by a devastating fire in 1731. Utopia Ensemble performed works by Franco-Flemish composers that likely once resonated within these very walls. Il Gardellino, meanwhile, offered pieces by Mozart, some featuring the glass harmonica. The instrument lent an even more evocative quality to the atmosphere of this subterranean setting. The Coudenberg Sound Box Festival will continue every Sunday until mid-December.

With the Utopia Ensemble and Il Gardellino.

London: end of tour for the Monteverdi Choir

The Monteverdi Choir, together with the English Baroque Soloists, concluded the tour of their programme Sing to the Lord a New Song at London’s Barts North Wing under the direction of Jonathan Sells. Launched in July, the tour — featuring Purcell (Hear my prayer, O Lord), Bach (Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf and Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied) and Handel’s Dixit Dominus — was also presented at the Old Royal Naval College and at the Edinburgh International Festival.

With Zoë Brookshaw, Chloë Morgan, Reginald Mobley, Hugo Hymas, Florian Störtz, the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and Jonathan Sells.

Lisbon: Samuel Mariño and the Gabetta Consort

A full house and great success at Lisbon’s Cultural Center of Belém for sopranist Samuel Mariño and the Gabetta Consort. Their programme paired the concerto grosso Il Mogul — in which Vivaldi’s brilliant writing showcased the spectacular technique of violinist Andrés Gabetta — with Handel’s dramatic cantata Il Delirio Amoroso, an ageless tale of love’s power to transcend all boundaries.

With Samuel Mariño and the Gabetta Consort.

Versailles: Zelenka and Collegium 1704 at the Royal Chapel

Collegium 1704 (choir and orchestra) and its conductor Václav Luks presented the French premiere of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s astonishing Missa Circumcisionis at Versailles’ Royal Chapel, alongside the Dixit Dominus of the young Georg Friedrich Handel. The concert concluded with two vocal works by Zelenka, both deeply introspective.

With Tereza Zimková, Pavla Radostová, Gabriel Díaz, Ondřej Holub, Tomáš Šelc, Tadeáš Hoza, Collegium 1704 and Václav Luks.

New York: Thomas Dunford and Nicolas Altstaedt on American tour

Vancouver, Philadelphia and, finally, New York’s Carnegie Hall were the stops on the “American Recital Tour” of Thomas Dunford (lute) and Nicolas Altstaedt (cello). Their programme included works by Marin Marais, Antoine Forqueray, Henri Duparc and Johann Sebastian Bach.

With Thomas Dunford and Nicolas Altstaedt.

Leipzig: 75 years of the Bach-Archiv

Leipzig’s Bach-Archiv celebrated its 75th anniversary at the city library, in the presence of numerous scholars and friends of Bach. Founded in 1950 — the bicentenary of the composer’s death — as “a centre for collecting all documents relating to the history and research on Bach”, the Archive aims to study the life, works and historical impact of Bach and the wider Bach family (whose musical branches are remarkably extensive), to preserve their heritage, and to transmit it for educational purposes. Beyond academic research, the Archive now reaches a broad public. Its scholarly work forms the foundation of the Bach Museum, opened in 1985, and also informs the annual Bach Festival and the Leipzig Bach Competition. As part of the anniversary celebrations, former director Christian Wolff and fellow musicologists Hans-Joachim Schulze, Peter Wollny and Andreas Glöckner reflected on the history of the Bach-Archiv. The discussion was chaired by Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen.