Vienna, Montreal, São Paulo, Dresden, Lyon and Toronto

Vienna: Handel’s Poro, re dell’Indie

At the Theater an der Wien, Max Emanuel Cenčić presented a concert performance of Handel’s Poro, re dell’Indie, ahead of a staged production of Leonardo Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie planned for April 2026. The dialogue between the two works is compelling: in the late 1720s, Handel’s London operatic empire was in financial trouble, and his star castrato Senesino had abandoned him to sing in The Beggar’s Opera. Handel lured him back by promising a particularly striking role.
For his new opera, he drew on Metastasio’s Alessandro nell’Indie, recounting Alexander the Great’s Indian campaigns. Yet Handel radically altered the hierarchy of characters: in Vinci’s version, Alessandro dominates the stage, whereas in Handel’s, it is the Indian king Poro—written for Senesino—who becomes the dramatic centre. The 1731 premiere was an outright triumph: King George II attended nine performances.

With Max Emanuel Cenčić, Julia Lezhneva, Lucile Richardot, Rémy Brès-Feuillet, Hugo Hymas, Timothy Edlin, the {oh!} Orkiestra and Martyna Pastuszka.

Montreal: Memorable Four Seasons at the Bach Festival

Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Les Arts Florissants marked the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at the Montreal Bach Festival. Christophe Huss wrote in [French] Le Devoir: “Their celebration of Italian baroque reached spheres of inventiveness, embodiment and artistic achievement quite unheard of. (…) This was not just ‘a notch above’ the norm. It belonged to another galaxy altogether.”

With Les Arts Florissants and Théotime Langlois de Swarte.

São Paulo: Seven Indes galantes for Cappella Mediterranea

A South American tour for Cappella Mediterranea with Les Indes galantes — De la voix des âmes. A first performance at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, followed by seven more shows until 4 December 2025. Choreography by Bintou Dembélé (Cie Rualité), musical direction by Leonardo García-Alarcón. The tour is part of France–Brazil Year 2025, supported by the Institut Français and the Centre National de la Musique.

With Laurène Paternò, Ana Quintans, Mathias Vidal, Andreas Wolf, the Cappella Mediterranea and Leonardo García-Alarcón.

Dresden: The Advent Television Concert

A German tradition: the ZDF’s First Sunday of Advent concert took place at the Frauenkirche in Dresden, featuring the Sächsische Staatskapelle and the Dresden Opera Chorus, conducted by Nicholas Collon. The programme included works by Bach, Mozart, Grieg and Strauss.

With the Sächsische Staatskapelle, the Dresden Opera Chorus and Nicholas Collon.

Lyon: A ‘Chapelle d’Automne’ Festival at La Trinité

The Chapelle d’Automne Festival offered four days of concerts at Lyon’s Chapelle de la Trinité, celebrating the astonishing creativity of keyboard repertoire—from the most tempered to the most flamboyant, from early majestic works to contemporary explorations, with a few exotic detours. Among the highlights: Le Ballet des Passions (“The Ballet of Passions”), a danced concert devised by choreographer Hubert Hazebroucq and harpsichordist Jean-Luc Ho, interweaving the great choreographic pages of the Grand Siècle with French-style harpsichord pieces, complete with masks as was customary in theatrical dance of the period.

With Jean-Luc Ho and Hubert Hazebroucq.

Toronto: Double Dixit with Tafelmusik

Tafelmusik opened its choral season at Toronto’s Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre with three concerts pairing settings of Psalm 110 (Dixit Dominus) by Lotti and Handel—two composers for whom choral director Ivars Taurins has a special affinity. Once nearly forgotten, Venetian composer Antonio Lotti (1667–1720) has become a favourite of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir: expressive contrasts, flowing vocal lines, and a style that clearly influenced the young Handel, who composed his own Dixit Dominus in Rome at just 22.

With the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Ivars Taurins.