Migros-Culture-Percentage-Classics 180°

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) has been practising many of the things that younger ensembles claim to do since 1986: democratic cooperation, self-administration and a focus on the artistic. In keeping with its name, the orchestra mainly plays works from the 18th century, naturally on period instruments. In the meantime, however, the repertoire has been significantly expanded to include Wagner and even Mahler. The conductors and principal artists with whom the OAE works are among the best in their profession: Sir Simon Rattle, Iván Fischer, Roger Norrington, András Schiff and John Butt, to name but a few. At the same time, the orchestra is trying to reach new audiences, for example through the popular "Night Shift" series in a relaxed atmosphere. In 2020, the orchestra moved to the campus of a school in North London, with which it regularly develops artistic projects.

Alongside András Schiff, Sir Simon Rattle and Iván Fischer, John Butt is one of the Principal Artists of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. This distinction is no coincidence, as the Briton has made a name for himself as a baroque specialist since the 1980s. He is the director of the Dunedin Consort, probably the most important Scottish baroque ensemble, which has received numerous awards for its recordings, such as the Gramophone Award for Handel’s "Messias". Butt himself has recorded numerous albums of organ and harpsichord music, including Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and the complete organ works of Elgar. In addition to his work as a conductor and soloist, he has also distinguished himself as a musicologist and book author specializing in Bach and has been teaching at the University of Glasgow since 2001.

"El Sistema", the famous Venezuelan music project, has produced many talented instrumentalists, but Sofia Kirwan-Baez is also an excellent soprano. After studying violin and piano, she focused everything on singing and moved to England for this purpose. With success, as various sponsorship programs and competition prizes, such as the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Award, prove. In the meantime, Kirwan-Baez has not only appeared on the opera stage as Rosina ("Barber of Seville") and Eurydice ("Orpheus in the Underworld"), but has also sung the solo roles in the German Requiem, Monteverdi’s Vespers and Mahler’s 4th Symphony. She also celebrated her Wigmore Hall debut and released her first album. And, not to forget: She is also successful in the jazz field, both as a singer and on the piano.

There is hardly anything better for a successful start to a musical career than being named a BBC New Generation Artist. British mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston completed the three-year BBC sponsorship program from 2021, with guest appearances with numerous orchestras on the island, including at London’s Wigmore Hall. She has since performed throughout Europe, for example at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Handel Festival Halle and the Berlin Philharmonie. In addition to oratorio, Charlston is particularly passionate about songs: during the coronavirus pandemic, she commissioned the "Isolation Songbook". And her concept album "Battle Cry" with contemporary and baroque lute songs won both a Gramophone Award and the BBC Music Magazine Vocal Prize in 2023.

Like so many of his peers, British tenor Hugo Hymas was initially active as a choral singer in his home town of Cambridge. Since moving to London a good ten years ago, he has become an integral part of the early music scene, with regular appearances under John Eliot Gardiner, William Christie, Kristian Bezuidenhout and Philippe Herreweghe. Bach’s Mass in B minor, the Passions and Handel’s operas and oratorios make up his artistic focus. He has toured Europe several times with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and presented Monteverdi operas in New York with the English Baroque Soloists. His releases include recordings of Handel’s "Semele" and Bach’s Magnificat, both under Gardiner.

Florian Störtz grew up in the Trier area, but has been based in London for some time. Here he was accepted into the Rising Star Program of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, from where he performed with ensembles such as The English Concert, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Monteverdi Choir. Störtz caused an international sensation in 2023 when he won several competitions: the Handel Singing Competition, the Helmut Deutsch Liedwettbewerb and the Paris Prix de mélodie. In addition to the baroque repertoire, the bass-baritone also sings music from the 20th century, such as Britten, Stravinsky and Bernstein or Duruflé’s Requiem. His debut album alongside pianist Alexandra Myslek is also in preparation.

"Solomon" is one of Handel’s late oratorios, first performed in March 1749. At first glance, the piece appears to be a biographical treatise on the legendary biblical King Solomon, who is portrayed in four different life situations: as the builder of a temple and a loving husband, as a righteous judge and as a statesman. Handel places particular emphasis on the design of the choruses, some of which are divided into eight voices or double choirs. In the final act of the oratorio, the choral singing itself becomes the theme: in order to demonstrate the power of music to his visitor, the Queen of Sheba, Solomon has the choir portray different emotions. After joy, belligerence and lamentation, the longing for peace has the last word. And so "Solomon" can also be understood as an appeal for peaceful coexistence, addressed to the current King George II, who had led his country into armed conflict for years. Whether it was due to this message or the incredibly imaginative, colorful music with the famous "Entry of the Queen of Sheba" at the beginning of Act 3, "Solomon" was a great success for the composer.