Instrument: Period Instrumental Ensemble

Laurent Pelly’s elegant musical stave production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, from the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, charms and delights at the Edinburgh International Festival.

The imaginative baroque architecture of the Buontalenti Grotto in Palazzo Pitti Boboli Gardens is an inert background to the action in this reprise of one of the first operas.

A concert performance of Arianna in Creta at the Halle Handel Festival riveted the audience with the towering talent of Ann Hallenberg and uniformly fine singing, acting and playing.

A staged performance of Handel’s pasticcio opera Oreste shows a strong narrative structure and provides a vehicle for promising young singers.

John Butt’s revisitation of the Handel oratorio Samson at the Halle Handel Festival displayed this treasured work in an illuminating and satisfying light.

In the Teatro Regio's production everything is according to the script, but the magic of the stage is absent. 

Dunedin Consort’s band of virtuosi players, four Early music specialist soloists and just four ripieno singers gave a nimble and exquisitely focussed performance of the Christmas Oratorio simply bursting with enjoyment.