Baroque Pearls

In music, the baroque period is sometimes defined by a simple, somewhat arbitrary date range from 1600 to 1750, but the reality is far more complex and comprehensive. Given the etymology of the word baroque – which is derived from the Portuguese term «barrocco» for an irregularly-shaped pearl – it is safe to say that there will be an abundance of baroque pearls this season, one as precious as the others …

In the Grand Auditorium, the series «Voyage dans le temps» traverses time and space, taking in Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom: William Christie and his Arts Florissants perform two operas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, followed by Philippe Herreweghe with cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, Janine Jansen with The Four Seasons, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the helm of his new Ensemble Constellation. The Salle de Musique de Chambre also has gems to offer: an appearance by soprano Anna Prohaska, a chamber music concert featuring the recorder virtuoso Lucie Horsch, and William Christie’s reunion with the violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte for an evening dedicated entirely to the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau.

Finally, there is the genre-bending programme #LetsBarock by the star countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and the little pearls to be picked from each lunchtime concert of the «Midis baroques», presented in words and music from the harpsichord by Anne-Catherine Bucher.