Rare Baroque jewels shine at Morgan Library with Boston's Tragicomedia

By Stephen Raskauskas, 30 January 2012

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Reviewed at The Morgan Library and Museum, New York City on 27 January 2012

Handel, Other (Selection of Early Cantatas)

Stephen Stubbs, Director, Baroque Guitar, Theorbo

Shannon Mercer, Soprano

Douglas Williams, Bass-baritone

Paul O'Dette, Baroque Guitar, Theorbo

Erin Headley, Viola da Gamba

Kristian Bezuidenhout, Harpsichord

BEMF stages Francesca Caccini's Alcina

Kevin Wells, 10th June

A rare chance to see the first extant opera written by a woman, Francesca Caccini's La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’ isola d’ Alcina.

****1

Orfeo ed Eurydice in Seattle... without the happy ending

Philippa Kiraly, 12th January

Seattle Opera’s tiny Tagney Jones Hall hosts a new production of Gluck's opera, but without the happy ending he was forced to provide.

****1

BEMF presents La serva padrona and Livietta e Tracollo

Kevin Wells, 17th June

A riotous double bill of Pergolesi at the Boston Early Music Festival.

*****

Handel’s La Resurrezione brought blazingly to life

Kevin Wells, 15th June

Handel's La Resurrezione, anchored the Boston Early Music Festival’s Thursday programs in a dramatic reading by many of the same forces performing Campra’s La Carnaval de Venise.

****1

Jaroussky and Gauvin star in Steffani's Niobe

Nicolas Nguyen, 27th January

In spite of superb performances from the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and the two lead soloists, Steffani’s Niobe at the Concertgebouw offers too few inspired moments to make it truly memorable.

***11

A stirring St John Passion in Seattle from Stephen Stubbs and Pacific MusicWorks

Thomas May, 1st March

A deeply stirring interpretation of Bach's St John Passion from Pacific Musicworks in Seattle.

****1

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Stephen Raskauskas

Stephen Raskauskas is passionate about the performing arts. As a performer, he has collaborated on productions acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Huffington Post. He has received numerous fellowships and awards, and holds degrees in music from the University of Chicago and Princeton University.