Monteverdi Festival, Handel oratorio, and Urbino Musica Antica return in Italy
Three Italian early music festivals resumed in summer 2021 after the pandemic. In Cremona, the Monteverdi Festival (June 18–26) featured Monteverdi's Orfeo directed by Andrea Cigni, with Antonio Greco conducting, and a recital by countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński. In Parma, Handel's oratorio Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (1707) was performed on June 26 and 28 at the Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista, produced by Fondazione Teatro Due with Europa Galante under Fabio Biondi, featuring Vivica Genaux. In Urbino, the Urbino Musica Antica festival (last week of July) included courses by FIMA (53rd edition) and concerts by ensembles such as MusiCanti Potestatis, Zefiro, and a recital by Mauro Borgioni. All events were noted for high quality and diverse programming.
Key facts
- Monteverdi Festival 2021 in Cremona ran June 18–26.
- Orfeo production revived from Teatro Ponchielli 2007, directed by Andrea Cigni.
- Antonio Greco conducted orchestra and chorus; Mauro Borgioni sang Orfeo.
- Jakub Józef Orliński performed a recital with Il pomo d'oro, including works from his CD Facce d'amore.
- Handel's Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno performed June 26 and 28 in Parma at Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista.
- Production by Fondazione Teatro Due with Europa Galante conducted by Fabio Biondi.
- Cast included Vivica Genaux (Disinganno), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Bellezza), Arianna Rinaldi (Piacere), Francesco Marsiglia (Tempo).
- Urbino Musica Antica festival took place last week of July 2021.
- FIMA courses reached 53rd edition, longest-running early music specialization courses worldwide.
- Festival directed by Alessandro Quarta; concerts included MusiCanti Potestatis, Zefiro, and Mauro Borgioni.
Entities
Artists
- Claudio Monteverdi
- Andrea Cigni
- Antonio Greco
- Mauro Borgioni
- Roberta Mameli
- Giuseppina Bridelli
- Francesco Corti
- Raffaele Giordani
- Simone Derai
- Jakub Józef Orliński
- Georg Friedrich Händel
- Benedetto Pamphilj
- Fabio Biondi
- Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli
- Arianna Rinaldi
- Francesco Marsiglia
- Vivica Genaux
- Alessandro Quarta
- Giacomo Carissimi
- Francesco Maria Marescotti Ruspoli
- Boris Begelman
- Rinaldo Alessandrini
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Federico da Montefeltro
- Correggio
- Farinelli
- James Dean
Institutions
- Monteverdi Festival
- Teatro Ponchielli
- Il pomo d'oro
- Fondazione Teatro Due
- Europa Galante
- FIMA (Fondazione Italiana per la Musica Antica)
- Urbino Musica Antica
- MusiCanti Potestatis
- Zefiro
- Artribune
Locations
- Cremona
- Italy
- Parma
- Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista
- Urbino
- Palazzo Ducale
- Salone Raffaello
- Rome