30 Aug 2024
The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO) is embarking on a new and exciting chapter in its illustrious history. The Choir celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this year, and so of course we have spent some time looking back at highlights of the past. But as Gustav Mahler put it, “tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”
The MCO has always been a trailblazing organisation, and in the first half of this year we’ve been reinvigorating repertoire in which the ensembles are world-renowned by collaborating with exciting fresh conductors: Dinis Sousa in Beethoven’s Symphonies, Peter Whelan in Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and Jonathan Sells in Bach’s motets.
This renewed journey of discovery will continue unabated in the autumn season of concerts, starting with Jonathan Sells returning to direct the Monteverdi Choir in an enticing mix of Bruckner (in his 200th anniversary) and Gesualdo, encouraging us to hear both talismanic composers in a different light. Under Jonathan’s direction, the Leipziger Volkszeitung commented on the Choir’s “extraordinary class: an unearthly purity of intonation, unparalleled clarity of articulation, playful word-painting”.
November will see a brand new strand in MCO programming, as musicians from the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique perform unconducted for the first time. With their “astonishing collective virtuosity” (Bachtrack) these players will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Schubert’s iconic Octet, illuminating that chamber-music mainstay in a pairing with an intriguing lesser-known Grand Septet by the Swedish composer Franz Berwald.
And finally, in December celebrated Baroque conductor Christophe Rousset will make his MCO debut. The Monteverdi Choir will once again be centre-stage to complete its anniversary year with an extensive tour of the most prestigious European venues, performing Baroque Christmas music by Bach and Charpentier, including the Messe de Minuit with its beguiling blend of sacred music and French folk carols. The Choir will be joined by four outstanding rising-star soloists: Hilary Cronin, Bethany Horak-Hallett, Florian Sievers, and Florian Störtz.
So far this year the MCO has been showered with critical accolades: “Dazzling” (The Observer), “Thrilling” (The Times), “Gloriously optimistic” (The Telegraph), “Truly one of the finest choirs of their time” (Bachtrack). We invite you to join us in our Autumn season to see and hear for yourself what all the fuss is about, as we build on our extraordinary legacy and double down with renewed determination to create bold, fresh and compelling new musical experiences.
