CLASSICAL MUSIC, OPERA, THEATRE
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
Schubert composed his three-act German Romantic opera about the love story of Alfonso and Estrella in 1822, to a libretto by Franz von Schober. The work was never staged in his lifetime – having been rejected by the opera houses of Vienna, Berlin, Dresden and Graz. It was first conducted by Liszt, in Weimar in 1854. The Helsinki Baroque Orchestra has been in operation since 1997. Infused with the spirit of exploration, their productions both shed new light on long-known works and shine a spotlight on unfamiliar ones. Their guest conductors have included the likes of Reinhard Goebel, René Jacobs and Enrico Onorfi, and they have been joined by such guest artists as Isabelle Faust, Erich Höbarth, Franco Fagioli and Julia Leznyeva. Aapo Häkkinen, the orchestra’s artistic director, started his career as a chorister. A versatile musician, working as a harpsichordist, organist and conductor, he is well versed with the styles of many composers, ranging from Monteverdi and Handel to Paisiello and Haydn, and is a regular guest at major international festivals. The international cast of singers for the performance includes luminaries from Germany, Croatia, Norway and Finland, while the chorus, Soma Szabó’s Cantemus Mixed Choir, is the the globally celebrated pride of both Nyíregyháza and the Hungarian music world.
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