Holland Baroque: À Chloris

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra / Ton Koopman

Wait a moment, these are the first sounds of the »Christmas oratorio« which starts this concert in the middle of summer! Yes and no: Johann Sebastian Bach often ›recycled‹ his own music and used pieces he considered particularly successful, repeatedly in very different works. Ton Koopman, expert in historical Bach performance practice, has selected three secular cantatas by the Baroque master, which celebrate name-days and birthdays of the Saxon elector prince family and include so many well-known arias and chants. On these occasions, Bach did not set to music any sacred, but secular texts. Characters from classical mythology appear here, convey good wishes to the gods and praise them. For the composer, these compositions which were performed in the open air in beer gardens in summer and in coffee houses in the winter are part of his Leipzig engagements. Two of the cantatas even bear the subheading »Dramma per Musica« – festive miniature operas with virtuoso arias, studded with outstanding soloists. Ton Koopman, who is giving his Elbphilharmonie debut with this concert, is, with his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, one of the world’s best Bach interpreters, awarded with numerous prizes. The conductor, organist and harpsichordist fully dedicated himself to the composer: »To me, Bach is the most brilliant composer in the history of music! What affects me with Bach is the tremendous balance between sense and sensibility – his music goes straight to the heart. A day without Bach is inconceivable to me!«

Bal baroque

Join in the dancing! As part of the festivities in honour of William Christie’s 80th birthday, Les Arts Florissants invites you to a new participatory ball.

Christmas Concert: Baroque Classics

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

Pearls in Baroque: Joseph & Michael Haydn

Pearls in Baroque: Christmas Gala Concert

Afternoon Baroque Concert: Gent, Cheatham, Cuiller and Gallon

For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!

Pearls in Baroque: The French Connection of Purcell

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists / Peter Whelan

The Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists present »Israel in Egypt«, one of George Frideric Handel’s most famous oratorios. The key protagonist is not a solo part, but the choir that represents the long-suffering Israelites. Luckily, the Monteverdi Choir is one of the best in the world – and an emotionally moving and musically formidable concert evening is in store. Next to his ubiquitous »Messiah«, Handel’s 24 other oratorios don’t have it easy, although »Israel in Egypt« is relatively well known. Which is no wonder considering how Handel packaged the story of the enslaved Israelites’ exodus from ancient Egypt as a musical crime drama. Although originally conceived for the concert hall, the oratorio is so full of drama that it is also regularly performed on the operatic stage.

Ton Koopman & Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra: Handel's Esther

The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!

English Baroque Soloists / Monteverdi Choir / Christophe Rousset

Please note the change of artist: The Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists announced the stepping down of conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner in July after 60 years of collaboration. In Gardiner’s place, the French baroque specialist Christophe Rousset now conducts this concert. The »Messe de Minuit« by Marc-Antoine Charpentier with ten old French Christmas carols follows the country’s tradition of celebrating the good news with dancing vigour and great cheerfulness. With the two following Bach cantatas, composed for the Christmas season in Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, the ensembles return to their core repertoire. They performed all 200 cantatas by the baroque master within a year – nothing if not a mammoth project! Sir John Eliot Gardiner performs with his newly founded ensembles in the Elbphilharmonie on 7 December. Anyone wishing to switch from 14 to 7 December due to the change in line-up can return tickets already purchased.