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History man – Harry Bicket on the cover of Opera Now
Harry Bicket is well known to opera goers for his stylish, revelatory interpretations of Baroque operas, persuading modern orchestra to take a historically informed approach to their playing. This year, as music director of Sante Fe Opera, he branches out into Bernstein, bringing his broader musical horizons into focus. Heidi Waleson met the Anglo-American conductor in New York during the …
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Handel: Ariodante ‘Cieca notte’
Richly scored and tightly plotted, an all-star cast brings to life one of Handel’s finest operas, Ariodante. Following her stunning appearance in Alcina in 2014, the latest instalment in our Handel opera series sees the return of Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Marking 500 years since the publication of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso, a tale of knights and entangled …
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Handel: Ariodante ‘Bramo aver mille vite’
Richly scored and tightly plotted, an all-star cast brings to life one of Handel’s finest operas, Ariodante. Following her stunning appearance in Alcina in 2014, the latest instalment in our Handel opera series sees the return of Joyce DiDonato in the title role. Marking 500 years since the publication of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso, a tale of knights and entangled love, Ariodante stands as Handel’s final …
Latest release: Wigmore Hall Live
We are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of our recent recording of Purcell, Locke and their contemporaries with Sarah Connolly and Rosemary Joshua. Appearing under the Wigmore Hall’s own label ‘Wigmore Hall Live’, the release is a recording of our 2015 concert entitled ‘Music be the food of love’. CDs go on pre-release sale at our next Wigmore Hall …
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Mr Handel and The English Concert
In the video below, we discuss a direction towards opera, particularly those of Handel, with interviews from Artistic Director Harry Bicket and soloists during their latest production. “Like a globe-travelling relative who returns bearing marvellous gifts, The English Concert continues to appear at Carnegie Hall bearing one gorgeous Handel opera after another. The English Concert will return in April of …
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Harry Bicket: the development of period performance
Harry Bicket discusses the development of period instrument performance during the past several decades. Bicket reveals his belief that attitudes towards the practice should be revised, allowing ensembles like The English Concert to be judged directly against orchestras that perform on modern instruments.
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Director Masterclass
For the fledgling conductor and Karajan ‘wannabe’, conservatoires, universities, and summer schools offer the chance to hone their craft, swapping practice in front of their bathroom mirrors for rehearsal time with mentors, accompanists, or full-size symphony orchestras. Yet for the aspiring baroque director, prospects of working within such a specialised field are far and few between. Teaming up with the …