Early Opera Company
Encyclopedia
The Early Opera Company is a British ensemble dedicated to the performance of baroque operas using period instruments. It was founded in 1994, by Christian Curnyn. Handel
's operas feature prominently in its repertoire, and the Company has given notable performances of Agrippina
in New York, Orlando
at the South Bank Centre
Early Music Festival and Partenope
at the Buxton
and Aldeburgh
Festivals. They have also recorded Partenope and Semele for the Chaconne label on Chandos Records
. The recording of Semele was awarded the Handel Prize in 2008. Soloists who have performed with company include Rosemary Joshua
, Hilary Summers
, Richard Croft
and Gail Pearson. They perform at the Lufthansa Baroque Music Festival in May 2009 with John Eccles's The Judgment of Paris in one its first ever performances. The ensemble also made the premiere recording of the work for Chandos Records
.
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's operas feature prominently in its repertoire, and the Company has given notable performances of Agrippina
Agrippina (opera)
Agrippina is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel, from a libretto by Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani. Composed for the Venice Carnevale season, the opera tells the story of Agrippina, the mother of Nero, as she plots the downfall of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the installation of...
in New York, Orlando
Orlando (opera)
Orlando is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel written for the Royal Academy of Music . The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Carlo Sigismondo Capece's L'Orlando after Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which was also the source of Handel's operas Alcina and...
at the South Bank Centre
South Bank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall and Waterloo Bridge. It comprises three main buildings , and is Europe’s largest centre for the arts. It attracts more than three million visitors annually...
Early Music Festival and Partenope
Partenope
Partenope is an opera by George Frideric Handel, first performed at the King's Theatre in London on 24 February 1730.-Background:...
at the Buxton
Buxton Festival
The Buxton Festival is an annual summer festival of opera, music, and a literary series, held in Buxton, Derbyshire in England since it began in July 1979.-History:...
and Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
Festivals. They have also recorded Partenope and Semele for the Chaconne label on Chandos Records
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
. The recording of Semele was awarded the Handel Prize in 2008. Soloists who have performed with company include Rosemary Joshua
Rosemary Joshua
Rosemary Joshua a British soprano, particularly known for her performances in Handel's operas.Joshua was born in Cardiff and studied at the Royal College of Music. After completing her studies there, she made her debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival as Angelica in Handel's Orlando...
, Hilary Summers
Hilary Summers
Hilary Summers is a Welsh contralto. She was trained at Reading University, the Royal Academy of Music, and the National Opera Studio in London. She has performed on soundtracks such as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Libertine, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
, Richard Croft
Richard Croft (tenor)
Richard Croft is an American tenor.Richard Croft debuted in the United States , by singing the major roles of Mozart and Rossini, before being invited on the leading international stages Richard Croft is an American tenor.Richard Croft debuted in the United States (including at the Metropolitan...
and Gail Pearson. They perform at the Lufthansa Baroque Music Festival in May 2009 with John Eccles's The Judgment of Paris in one its first ever performances. The ensemble also made the premiere recording of the work for Chandos Records
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
.