From Hervé Niquet’s King Arthur in Paris to Sasha Waltz’s Dido & Aeneas in Berlin, and the rise of a new ensemble in Strasbourg, the baroque spirit is resonating across continents. A weekly selection of images celebrating the vitality of early music today. 
By 
Dido & Aeneas Returns to Berlin with Sasha Waltz
A signature choreographic opera of Sasha Waltz & Guests, Dido & Aeneas returned to Berlin to mark twenty years and one hundred performances since its 2005 premiere in Luxembourg. The 2025 opening night took place at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, followed by three more performances on 7, 12 and 14 November.
With Natalia Skrycka, Aphrodite Patoulidou, Marie-Claude Chappuis, Nicolay Borchev, Yannis François, Michael Smallwood, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Vocalconsort Berlin and Christopher Moulds.
Dido & Aeneas in Washington and New York with Opéra Lafayette
Opéra Lafayette and its new artistic director, Patrick Quigley, opened the season with Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, first at Sixth & I in Washington, then at El Museo del Barrio (photo) in New York, before touring to Memphis, Houston, Austin and Dallas. Mary Elizabeth Williams returned to Opéra Lafayette in the title role after her widely acclaimed performance in Édouard Dédé’s Morgiane last season.
With Mary Elizabeth Williams, Elijah McCormack, Chelsea Helm, the Orchestra and Choir of the Opéra Lafayette and Patrick Quigley.
Christophe Rousset and Legrenzi at Musica Mirabilis (Italy)
In Clusone, near Bergamo, at the Musica Mirabilis Festival, Christophe Rousset presented a new programme devoted to Giovanni Legrenzi — a “forgotten genius”, born in Clusone in 1626 and deceased in Venice in 1690.
With Francesca Aspromonte, Emmanuel Jacques, Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset.
King Arthur and Hervé Niquet in Paris
At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel offered a refreshingly unorthodox take on Purcell’s King Arthur, enriched with playful theatrical touches — umbrellas, hats and scarves for the famous “Cold Song”!
With Hélène Guilmette, Florian Hasle, Cyril Auvity, Robin Tritschler, Andreas Wolf, Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet.
A New Ensemble: Armonico Tributo in Strasbourg
A debut concert at the Church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune in Strasbourg marked the launch of Armonico Tributo, a new ensemble founded by violinist Stéphanie Pfister. She chose a programme celebrating the “goûts réunis” — the blend of French and Italian styles — in homage to Georg Muffat (1653–1704), whose collection of string sonatas Armonico Tributo, published in Salzburg in 1682, inspired the ensemble’s name.
With Kazumi Hirugashi, Clotilde Sors, Juliette Shenton, Lucile Chionchini, Sven Boyny, Camille Sors, Kévin Bourdat, Élodie Peudepièce, Yuki Mizutani, Armonico Tributo and Stéphanie Pfister.
The Freiburger Barockorchester in Bamberg
The Freiburger Barockorchester opened its new season — and returned to Bamberg’s Konzerthalle after twenty years — with Handel’s Water Music. The performance prompted the press to remark: “Those who thought they knew Handel’s Water Music were in for a delightful surprise tonight.” The programme also offered a more intimate side of Handel, with the Trio Sonata in G major, HWV 399, featuring its magnificent passacaglia, and the colourful Concerto a 4 in D minor, long attributed to Georg Philipp Telemann.
With the Freiburger Barockorchester and Gottfried von der Goltz.
You must be logged in to be able to post comments.
Sign in