Les Arts Florissants/William Christie

Seek the source of human inspiration under the guidance of William Christie and his exquisite Baroque ensemble in Handel’s poetic oratorio L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.

What inspires great poetry – meditation and contemplation of life’s great mysteries, or a life of pleasure lived to its fullest? Handel’s pastoral ode pits the virtues of mirth and melancholy against one another, setting the striking allegorical poetry of John Milton to typically glorious and evocative music.

And who better to perform it than the group who have revolutionised how musicians perform – and we listen to – Baroque music. Critics ran out of fresh superlatives to describe performances by Les Arts Florissants many years ago. Suffice to say they’ll use all their flair, verve and je ne sais quoi to bring Handel’s sparkling music and Milton’s colourful characters to life.