Since the inaugural Festival in 1981, the Boston Early Music Festival has been North America’s premier celebration of Early Music, offering a spectacular week full of opera, concerts, and more. The 23rd biennial Festival, June 8–15, features breathtaking Baroque opera, one-of-a-kind concerts, a world-famous exhibition, and so much more. Host Oliver Camacho previews this year’s festival and some of the featured performers including the Tallis Scholars, Vox Luminis, soprano Amanda Forsythe, and tenor Aaron Sheehan. Plus, Oliver speaks to Hungarian soprano Emőke Baráth, who will sing the title role in this year’s centerpiece opera Octavia by Reinhard Keiser. Learn more about this year’s festival HERE.
The 2025 Boston Early Music Festival
Jesse Blumberg and Emőke Baráth in Boston Early Music Festival's 2019 'Orlando generoso' (Photo: Kathy Wittman)
Playlist
All selections from the Boston Early Music Festival, Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, musical directors, unless otherwise indicated.
Handel: Almira, HWV, 1
Act I, Ritornello
Act I, Aria: “Ingrato, spietato”
Act II, Recitative and aria: “Beglückter Tag…Sanerà la piaga”
Emőke Baráth, soprano
Georg Philipp Telemann: “Mischt, ihr muntern Nachtigallen” from Flavius Bertaridus, TWV 21:27
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Agnus Dei I & II from Missa Brevis
The Tallis Scholars
Domenico Scarlatti: Te Deum
Vox Luminis
Agostino Steffani: “Non mi far pianger sempre” from Niobe, Regina di Tebe
Aaron Sheehan, tenor
Alessandro Scarlatti: Troppo è timido il tuo core” from La principessa fedele
Luca Cervoni, tenor
Concerto Romano/Alessandro Quarta
Giovanni Batista Pergolesi: La serva padrona
Intermezzo I, Duet: “Lo conosco a quegli occhietti”
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Christian Immler, bass-baritone
Steffani: “Quanto care al cor”
Emőke Baráth, soprano
Amanda Forsythe, soprano