musica Dei donum
Concert reviews
Festival Early Music Utrecht 2026
Each year the Festival Early Music Utrecht has a different theme: this year it was "Giving Voice". This means that the human voice took centre stage, as was the case for many centuries. It did not result in a programme that entirely consisted of vocal music. In his introduction in the programme, Xavier Vandamme, director of the festival, stated: "Les voix humaines – the human voices – is the title of one of the best-known works by Marin Marais. Remarkably, he does not let those voices be heard in song, but in the strings of the viola da gamba. This paradox characterizes the festival theme: the human voice sounds, but never in just one way. It appears in ever-new forms, with the greatest variety."
Early polyphony
One part of the programme was devoted to the earliest stages in the history of polyphony. This is especially connected to what has become known as the 'Notre Dame school'. However, as far as is known, the earliest source of notated polyphony is the Winchester Troper. It dates from the end of the 10th century and is connected to a story written down by Wulfstan, poet and cantor of Winchester, the Vita Sancti Aetheluuoldi. This was the thread of the programme, performed by the ensemble Dialogos under the direction of Katarina Livljanić [5]. Excerpts from the Vita alternated with other chants, among them Deus, Deus meus, the oldest known setting of Psalm 21 (22). In addition to the vocal items, instrumental transcriptions of pieces from the Winchester Troper were played on medieval flute and fiddle. This resulted in a fascinating journey through early polyphony, which is for the most part completely unknown. Katarina Livljanić is a specialist in very early music and with her ensemble she has already given a number of memorable concerts at the festival. This was one of them, thanks to the repertoire and the excellent singing of Katarina Livljanić and Clara Coutouly and the quasi-improvisational playing of Norbert Rodenkirchen and Albrecht Maurer. Although the medieval Pieterskerk, where this concert took place, is perfectly suited for this kind of music, the text was sometimes difficult to understand, especially in passages sung loudly. There was just a little too much reverberation.
It was the Huelgas Ensemble under the direction of Paul Van Nevel [1], which devoted itself to the music from the Notre Dame school. That concert was programmed as a kind of 'prelude' to the festival, whose 'official' opening concert took place that night. As the Winchester Troper shows, polyphony was not 'invented' by the Notre Dame school, but it played a key role in the dissemination of the principle. The listeners of that time must have been amazed and shocked to hear completely new harmonies and virtuoso singing in the sacred space of the cathedral. The church authorities viewed it with concern: the music caused great excitement, which was considered inappropriate. This repertoire is not very often performed, but in the early years of the festival it was The Hilliard Ensemble which presented it to a public that probably had never heard it. The performances by the Huelgas Ensemble were very different, partly due to the line-up - a ensemble of twelve mixed voices vs four or five male voices - and because of Van Nevel's application of embellishments that he found in the sources. I had already heard his interpretations on disc (review), but it was interesting and revealing to hear them live. The Huelgas Ensemble's performances are always exciting to attend, and that was not any different here.
Before polyphony was notated, it was created in the way of improvisation. This was demonstrated by the ensemble Ordo Virtutum, under the direction of Stefan Johannes Morent [14], whose programme started with music by Notker Balbulus (c840-912), a monk in the Benedictine monastery of St. Gallen. His long sequence Sancti Spiritus was followed by two shorter sequences that originated in the monastery of Reichenau. These works are monophonic, but the singers improvised additional parts according to methods laid down in treatises. We also heard chants that originated in Chartres around the year 1000. In the third section, chants from the Codex Calixtinus, which originated in Santiago de Compostela, were performed. Finally, the ensemble turned to Notre Dame with a conductus by Philippe le Chancelier and one of Leoninus's most famous organa, Viderunt omnes. Although Morent had selected different pieces than Van Nevel, the differences with regard to interpretation were evident, for example, in the fact that here the ornamentation in the performances of the Huelgas Ensemble were not applied. Ordo Virtutum is also smaller: it consists of five singers, from tenor to bass. This should not be interpreted as a point of criticism: I am not in a position to judge who is right. I found this concert by Ordo Virtutum particularly instructive, especially due to the works from sources other than the Notre Dame school; this put what originated in Paris in a historical perspective. Moreover, Ordo Virtutum is an excellent ensemble: the sonority of the five voices was impressive, certainly in the acoustics of the Cathedral. The last pieces were also interesting: two movements of a Mass by Manfred Barbarini Lupus. These were composed in the second half of the 16th century, but one wouldn't guess by hearing them. Lupus wrote them in an archaic style, which meant that these pieces hardly created a stylistic break. In short, this performance by Ordo Virtutum was an important contribution to increasing knowledge of the development of polyphony.
The practice of improvisation did not disappear once polyphonic music started to be written down. In the programme notes to the concert by her ensemble Per-Sonat [21], Sabine Lutzenberger wrote: "By connecting historical sources and performance practice, it becomes audible how singers at the time not only performed polyphony but also created it on the spot." The starting point of the concert was a manual written around 1230 for improvising a second voice over a Gregorian melody. The programme opened with Beata viscera, an organum by Perotinus. This was followed by various examples of improvisation models, both sung and played. It was not easy to follow exactly where the musicians were in the programme, especially since some pieces were performed instrumentally. Instruments sometimes also participated in the vocal works. This raises the question of whether, and if so, how instruments played a role in sacred music. Unfortunately, that subject was not discussed in the programme notes. The second half of the concert was devoted to the period when rhythm was notated. We heard several anonymous pieces from Paris and from the Codex Las Huelgas. The programme concluded as it started, with a piece by Perotinus. His Sederunt principes is an exciting piece that received an impressive performance by the six female singers of the ensemble. The performance by female voices offered a different perspective on the style of the Notre Dame school. As we have come to expect of Per-Sonat, the performances were of high quality. The repertoire is fascinating and deserves more attention. According to Paul Van Nevel, it is very large, so there is still plenty to discover. The festival is the perfect opportunity for such discoveries.
Polyphony and polychorality
Three concerts with music of a later date could be seen as follow-ups to these four. In the 'official' opening concert Hervé Niquet, with his ensemble Le Concert Spirituel [2], put the Italian composer Alessandro Striggio (c1536/37-1592) in the spotlight. His Missa Ecco al beato giorno and his motet Ecce beatam lucem, both for 40 voices, are examples of the development of polyphony towards polychoral music. In such large-scale works, the text is of secondary importance. But that was not the ideal at the time. The division into five choirs offers other possibilities for bringing elements of the text to the fore, for example by joining some or all of the choirs at important passages. Striggio did this in an effective way. In the performance, the parts of the Mass were interspersed with other works. This was no liturgical reconstruction: in the mass, the Kyrie is immediately followed by the Gloria; here they were separated by a setting of the Ave Regina by Domenico Massenzio. He, and Orazio Benevoli, some of whose works were also performed, lived nearly a century after Striggio. However, as their works are largely written in the stile antico, there was quite some stylistic coherence within the programme. To that also contributed several motets by Palestrina, which were performed instrumentally. In these, the ensemble's wind section shone on cornett, sackbut, and dulcian. They also participated in Striggio's Mass, as well as in the radiant motet Ecce beatam lucem, which concluded the concert. Overall, I was very pleased with this performance. The singers were excellent, as were the instrumentalists. Large-scale works like these are meant to impress, and this Mass did so back then, and it still does. The only downside - and certainly not insignificant - was the acoustics. The main hall of TivoliVredenburg has excellent acoustics, but not for this repertoire. Especially when the hall is almost completely sold out, as at this concert, there is virtually no reverberation. If there is too much of it, it causes problems, but this was the exact opposite. The music actually fell completely silent after the last note had sounded. That was unsatisfactory. It is the probably inevitable consequence of the popularity of early music, and this festival in particular, that such a concert is performed in a space that is actually unsuitable for it. Years ago, the relationship between music and space was a theme of the festival. The consequences have not yet been drawn.
Polychoral music was also performed at a concert by the Gabrieli Consort & Players under the direction of Paul McCreesh [20]. In recent years he has devoted himself mainly to later repertoire, and acts as conductor of 'modern' orchestras. In this festival he did something for which he was once known: the reconstruction of a specific event, religious or political. This time, it was music as it might have been performed during the coronation of Doge Marino Grimani in 1595 in Venice. Exactly which music was performed then is likely unknown, but in the way the concert was put together, one got an impression of the splendour and grandeur of an official ceremony in Venice. The aim was to demonstrate the power of the city and its rulers. With the music McCreesh had selected, that would surely have been achieved. Wind instruments played a central role, both in supporting the vocal parts and in the performance of instrumental works, particularly by Giovanni Gabrieli. Obviously, the Mass was the main part of the celebration: for this, McCreesh had chosen Mass sections for five to twelve voices by Andrea Gabrieli. The Agnus Dei was sung in plainchant, as were other parts of the Mass: Introitus, Collect, Epistle, Gospel, Preface, Pater Noster, and Postcommunio. In between, a few intonations were played on one of the organs. The beginning was spectacular, with drums and loud wind instruments, illustrating the arrival of the Doge. For this, McCreesh made use of the possibilities offered by the large hall of TivoliVredenburg: in almost complete darkness, trumpets and drums sounded, gradually moving toward the stage. The ceremony concluded with a festive psalm: Omnes gentes for sixteen voices by Giovanni Gabrieli, sung and played with the exuberance it requires.
With the third concert we returned to Notre Dame, but then at a much later time. When sacred music by French Baroque composers is performed today, it usually concerns works composed for the Chapelle Royale in Versailles. But Notre Dame was still an important musical centre in the 17th and 18th centuries. The most famous composer who served as maître de musique there was André Campra. He held this position from 1694 to 1700. His employment ended when the canons, displeased with his ever-increasing interest in opera, dismissed him. Whereas the petits motets he composed for Notre Dame are rarely performed, his Messe de Requiem is among his best-known works; it is available on various CD recordings, including one by the Ensemble Correspondances directed by Sébastien Daucé [7]. This work was also the heart of the concert performed by this same ensemble. The year of composition and the occasion for which it was written, are unknown. It could date from 1700. The work has a serene character, partly due to the absence - in accordance with French tradition - of the Dies irae. It is an expressive work which shows Campra's love for the theatre. It is written in the style of the grand motet, with an alternation of soli and tutti. Interestingly, the Requiem was preceded by two other works by predecessors of Campra as maître de musique: Jean Veillot and Jean Mignon. Veillot can be considered the 'inventor' of the grand motet; an example is Sacris solemniis. Mignon was Campra's direct predecessor. His Templi sacratas can be considered a kind of neo-Gregorian chant; as was customary in France at the time, it was accompanied by a serpent. As mentioned, Campra's Requiem lacks a Dies irae. This omission was compensated for by a setting of this text by Michel-Richard de Lalande, which concluded the concert. It is an example of a late grand motet, with more independent solo parts that betray Italian influence, such as the treatment of the text 'Rex tremendae maiestatis'. The harmonies used by Lalande also contribute to this piece's expression. As might be expected from this ensemble, the performances were technically flawless and profoundly moving in content. This repertoire consists of ensemble music, not works for soloists, choir, and orchestra. This is exactly the strength of this ensemble: the complete integration of soli and tutti. The singers in this ensemble are all capable of singing solo passages or separate solo parts, as in this concert; all of them delivered excellent performances. This concert was one of the festival's highlights.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
Returning to Middle Ages and Renaissance, a concert presented music that may have been written by women. At least, that is what Anna Danilevskaia, founder and director of the Sollazzo Ensemble [6] suggests - not as a fact, but as a possibility. Much music from the Middle Ages has come down to us without the name of the composer. During the festival one quite often finds the indication 'anonymous' quite in the programme. The concert, taking place in the Jacibikerk, was entitled "Anonyma?". This is the feminine form of the more commonly used 'anonymus'. Whether a number of compositions handed down anonymously may have been composed by women, cannot be proven, and Danilevskaia just wanted to sow doubt and confront "our contemporary patterns of thought and interpretation." The texts offer little conclusive evidence. While some are indeed written from a female perspective, that in itself is no proof that they were written by a woman. In most cases, anonymous will indeed remain anonymous. The programme moved on the boundary between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The programme indicated the sources, but without dates. Several pieces were taken from the Dijon Chansonnier, dating from the mid-15th century, as well as the Chansonnier Cordiforme. Interestingly, some texts were sung in different versions, such as Comme femme desconfortée and the well-known J'ay pris amour, which has almost become an earworm. The pieces were performed in various ways, by one or more singers with instruments or purely instrumentally. This resulted in a captivating concert. The Sollazzo Ensemble has made a name for itself with high-quality performances of repertoire that does not belong to the mainstream. It lived up to its reputation, as the singers and players acted with much flair. The main issue was that Elisabeth Hetherington allowed herself more vibrato than is stylistically justifiable. The texts were not always easy to understand, which was partly due to the use of loud wind instruments. For this repertoire Hertz would have been a better venue than the Jacobikerk.
Consort music is a well-known and beloved genre. Such music is usually played by an ensemble of viols or recorders. Years ago, the label Ramée released several CDs featuring music played by a consort of transverse flutes. Such ensembles were also known in the Renaissance, but are rarely heard nowadays. Even rarer is the combination of a single voice and a consort of flutes, analogous to the 'consort song'. This combination was heard in the concert by the ensemble Phaedrus and the tenor Jonatan Alvarado [10]. We were not treated to consort music as we usually hear it, but largely to continental sacred music from the 15th and 16th centuries. According to the accompanying notes, the programme explored the connection between breath, spirit, and music. In doing so, the musicians drew inspiration from the events at Pentecost, as described in the biblical book of Acts. These were incorrectly labeled as 'legends' in the programme. I also have my fair share of questions regarding the rest of the programme notes. This is not the occasion to further reflect on that. Gregorian chants were performed in arrangements by Mara Winter, alongside pieces by Josquin Desprez, Gilles Binchois, Loyset Compère, Alexander Agricola, and Jean Mouton. Jonatan Alvarado has exactly the right voice to sing this kind of music. Obviously, the singer should not act as a soloist, and Alvarado did not. His voice blended admirably with the flutes, which were played excellently by Mara Winter, Charlotte Schneider, and Liane Sadler. However, this does present a dilemma: due to the blending of voice and instruments often little of the text is intelligible. It seems to me that this way of performing vocal music would come off better in a more intimate surrounding than the Pieterskerk. After all, despite the sacred character of these pieces, this is not liturgical music anymore, but rather a kind of chamber music. Anyway, this approach was very interesting, and one should hope that it will be chosen more often: this way music that is partly familiar takes a different dimension.
The Italian ensemble RossoPorpora, under the direction of Walter Testolin [29], devoted itself to madrigals that can somehow be linked to a famous singer: Laura Peverara (1563-1601). She caused a sensation as a singer, harpist, and dancer, and after performing as a soloist for a number of years, she became part of the famous ensemble known as the Concerto delle Donne of Margherita Gonzaga d'Este. Her first name naturally provided an opportunity for wordplay with words such as "l'aurora" or the name Aurora, and "lauro/laure" (laurel[s]). In some madrigals, she is mentioned by name. Alongside madrigals by her teacher Giaches de Wert, works by Luzzasco Luzzaschi (who directed the Concerto delle Donne), Luca Marenzio, Ludovico Agostini, and Orazio Vecchi were performed. Most were polyphonic, but a few were set for a solo voice with basso continuo. In these, the individual qualities of some members of the ensemble came to light. More important was the cohesion of the entire ensemble and the very expressive manner in which the selected madrigals were performed. RossoPorpora may not be as well known (although it has been a guest at the festival before), but it is in no way inferior to the more famous madrigal ensembles. It was a very impressive concert, in which a singer who for many people is probably little more than a name, was given a musical face.
William Byrd
In 2023 it was four hunderd years ago that William Byrd died. In that year the festival did not give him special attention. This year it did: two series of concerts were devoted to him, entitled 'The Singing Byrd' and 'The Playing Byrd' respectively. In the former, his vocal music was in the centre of attention. The five concerts mainly focused on the music he composed for the Catholic worship, including his three masses. Therefore, it was fitting that the first concert in this series took place in the Catholic St. Augustine's Church. Byrd was a devout Catholic working during the time when England was ruled by the staunchly Protestant Elizabeth I. Since the concept of religious freedom did not yet exist, the position of Catholics under her reign was quite precarious. Byrd was fortunate that Elizabeth was a great lover of music, and especially of his music; consequently, he enjoyed more freedom than others. Nevertheless, much of his church music set to Latin texts was intended for secret religious services on the estates of Catholic nobles. For the concert by his ensemble, The Marian Consort [11], Rory McCleery had selected music that may have been performed there. The main work was the Mass for four voices, one of the three masses that Byrd published in the early 1590s. The Mass was preceded by an Introitus, and the various parts (with the exception of Kyrie and Gloria) alternated with liturgical chants: the Gradual and Offertory, and Byrd's famous setting of Ave verum corpus. The programme concluded with a communion and the eight-part motet Ad Dominum cum tribularer. Like others, McCleery suggests that the choice of texts and the expression of certain works were inspired by the position of Catholics in England. This is difficult to prove, but the suggestion is certainly plausible. The emphasis with which Byrd set the conclusion of the Agnus Dei and the dramatic character of Ad Dominum cum tribularer point in that direction.
The fact that this type of work was intended for clandestine religious services has consequences for the manner of performance. There are reasons to assume that they were performed with one singer per part. Possibly, the upper voice was sung by a woman, contrary to what was the rule at the time. Instruments may also have been used. And then there is the space: a church, such as St. Augustine, is nothing like the intimate setting in which Byrd's masses and motets were sung. Obviously, the original performing conditions can not be imitated at a festival. So here we got a 'cathedral performance'. There is nothing wrong with that; Byrd's music holds up effortlessly, especially when performed by an excellent ensemble like The Marian Consort. The fact that the church was completely full also helped to prevent the sound from becoming obscured by overly spacious acoustics. The expressive aspects of Byrd's music certainly came off, and especially the concluding Ad Dominum cum tribularer received an impressive performance.
The other two masses were performed in two consecutive concerts by the Tenebrae Choir under the direction of Nigel Short [22, 25]. In the first the Mass for five voices was performed. It is the largest of the three masses Byrd composed. It shows the influence of continental composers, such as in the fact that there are passages where Byrd reduces the number of voices. This contributes to the structure of the work. That is a characteristic of this mass: through clear phrasing, the text is given more attention than is customary in English polyphony. In his motets, too, Byrd seems to pay more attention to the text than others. This was immediately evident in the long motet with which the concert opened: Infelix ego, in which the sinfulness of man is lamented and God is begged for mercy. The mass was followed by Ne irascaris Domine, which has a similar tenor. The piece opens in the lower voices. Byrd's approach halfway through, at "Ecce respice populus tuus" ([Look] at us: surely we are your people?) is highly rhetorical. This phrase demonstrates that the focus here is primarily on the collective. The urgency of this exclamation was perfectly realized by the ensemble. The concert concluded with what was entitled 'Resurrection' in the programme. This turned out to be a block of two motets, each preceded by a Gregorian chant. Unfortunately, the programme only provided the text of the first motet. We had to guess at the rest; the second chant was the Easter sequence Victimae paschali laudes. The omission of these texts was a pity. It did not spoil my appreciation for and admiration of the way the programme was performed.
The Mass for three voices, performed at the second of the two concerts, stands on the opposite side of the three masses as it is the most concise. The Kyrie is extremely short, lasting barely a minute. The mass was performed with three singers per part. Again, it was preceded and followed by other pieces. One work was even repeated: Ne irascaris Domine. There was nothing wrong with that, as it is a very expressive work. While in the first concert only music set to Latin text was heard, the second opened with an anthem: O Lord, make thy servant Elizabeth. It expresses the ambiguity in Byrd's oeuvre: on the one hand, he experienced the restrictions imposed on Catholics; on the other, he composed music for the Chapel Royal. The concert was titled 'Crown and Cross'. The former word is clear. The latter refers mainly to the second half of the programme, which focused on the passion and resurrection of Christ. The motet mentioned earlier is connected to the passion part. It was followed by the Easter motets Pascha nostrum, Terra tremuit (about the earthquake at the resurrection), and Victimae paschali laudes. At the end, we returned to the Chapel Royal with two parts from the Great Service. Despite the Latin titles, Te Deum and Venite have English texts. Their length explains why there are few repetitions here. It brought the concert to a radiant conclusion, in which the Tenebrae Choir showed its great qualities. As an encore, Byrd's best-known motet, Ave verum corpus, was performed, sung with intimacy and tranquillity.
In this same series we also heard a young ensemble. The Lyons Mouth [15], founded in 2022, performed a number of works set to Latin texts. In doing so, they had the good idea of taking a journey through the liturgical year. This opened and closed with Advent. The various sections were separated by texts connected to a specific moment of the liturgical year. A text with the title 'The Annunciation' was read as an introduction to pieces for Lent and Easter; the Feast of the Annunciation falls during Lent. Only in the Advent and Christmas section with which the concert started, a piece in English was sung: The day Christ was born. Like The Marian Consort, The Lyons Mouth emphasized the precarious position of Catholics in Protestant-dominated England. This may explain the often somber tone in Byrd's sacred music. This came to the fore prominently here in several pieces, such as the Lent motet Vide Domine. The contrast with the ensuing Easter motet In resurrectione tua was striking. The programme concluded with an Advent motet: Vigilate. The urgency of the text - "Watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour" - was perfectly expressed in the performance by The Lyons Mouth. This ensemble consists of six female and male singers, who performed in various line-ups. It is a very good ensemble that impressed with both the way the programme was put together and the presentation and manner of performance (although the texts read were hard to understand, due to the acoustics in the St Augustine Cathedral). We will undoubtedly hear this ensemble more often at the festival.
The ensemble Stile Antico [19] could not fail to be part of this series of concerts. Its programme was a portrait of Byrd, characterized in the title as 'England's Nightingale'. However, here again we heard almost exclusively sacred music. The exception was This sweet and merry month of May, a song about spring that culminates in a tribute to Elizabeth I: "O beauteous Queen of second Troy: Take well in worth a simple toy." It concluded the first section, titled 'A good egg - Byrd, the loyal subject'. It opened with the anthem Sing joyfully, a setting of verses from Psalm 81. It was followed by the very contrasting Miserere mihi. The second section focused on Byrd's Catholic conviction, under the title 'The caged Bird - Byrd, the Catholic at court'. It opened with verses from Psalm 137: the Catholics undoubtedly identified with the people of Israel in Babylonian exile. The final piece in this section, Tristitia et anxietas, in particular, seems to be an expression of a troubled mind. The last section was entitled 'A country nest - Byrd, the Essex gentleman'. It focused on the final phase of Byrd's life, when he settled in Essex where he found the protection of the Catholic nobleman Sir John Petre. This section featured pieces from the Gradualia, two collections of liturgical music for (secret) Catholic worship, and a piece with English text, Retire my soul, from a collection of music for domestic use. Stile Antico is a regular guest at the festival, and for good reason. The ensemble consistently succeeds in capturing the character of every piece with pinpoint accuracy, like in this performance. The exuberant works were sung accordingly, while the lamenting character of other pieces was also conveyed excellently: the position of Catholics in Byrd's time was made perceptible, in particular in the aforementioned Tristitia et anxietas. This concert was a interesting and differentiated portrait of and tribute to the great composer that Byrd was.
'The Playing Byrd' was the title of a series of recitals on keyboard instruments, which is a fixed part of every festival. The third recital in this series was given by the young Polish harpsichordist Maciej Skrzeczkowski [9], who won the harpsichord competition in Bruges in 2023 and made his CD debut in 2024 with a recording of works by John Bull (review). Pieces by him were also on the programme of this recital. In late renaissance England, Byrd and Bull were regarded as two of the greatest keyboard players. In their time, the keyboard was the harpsichord or the virginal. On CD, Skrzeczkowski played the latter instrument. For this series of recitals, the festival had at its disposal a remarkable historical harpsichord from 1699. That must be a great inspiration for a player of keyboard music from the Renaissance or early Baroque. In his notes in the programme, Skrzeczkowski explained that there are clear differences between Byrd and Bull. Byrd's music is characterized by balance, clarity, and restraint in expression, while Bull is more flamboyant and experimental. But, he emphasized, both share imagination and contrapuntal ingenuity. This was clearly evident in the programme. Skrzeczkowski had created quite some variety by alternating pieces of different genres. The solemnity of the pavan stands in contrast to the liveliness of the galliard which often follows it. Obviously, pieces based on popular tunes could not be omitted. At the other end was a very expressive Chromatic Pavan and Galliard by Bull. Unusual were nine canons from a collection of 120 by Bull. These are almost never played, so the audience was treated to something new. Skrzeczkowski is a technically very gifted player, as he demonstrated on CD and during this concert. He possesses the finger dexterity required in the fast pieces, but also has the composure to bring the more introverted pieces to life. The variations also came across very well. I assume and hope that we will see and hear Skrzeczkowski again at future editions of the festival.
The fourth recital was given by Irene Roldán [13], who won the Bruges competition only a few weeks ago. In this series, Byrd's keyboard music is juxtaposed to that of other composers. As just mentioned, Maciej Skrzeczkowski brought Byrd and John Bull together. That is a logical combination; the alternation of Byrd with Antonio de Cabezón in Irene Roldán's recital seemed less obvious. Yet there are good reasons for this combination. Cabezón accompanied Philip II on his many travels through Europe, which took him to Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and England. Thanks to these travels, his art became known outside Spain and influenced composers in other countries. Byrd may have been one of them. Although there is no evidence that the two met, it is highly unlikely that Byrd would have missed such an opportunity. In the notes accompanying his recording of Byrd's Fantasias (Naxos, 2011), Glen Wilson writes about the influence of De Cabezón on Byrd: "Cabezón was one of the first to employ the thoroughly balanced four-part texture in keyboard music which had barely been seen in England before then, and which suddenly appears there, fully-fledged, with Byrd." Irene Roldán played several of Cabezón's tientos. The tiento is a free form, comparable to the fantasias composed elsewhere in Europe and also in England. The programme concluded with the Fantasia (MB 13) by Byrd, and earlier the Voluntary for my Lady Nevell, similar in character, was performed. Both composers also wrote variations on sacred and secular tunes. In this recital, variations from the latter category were performed. Byrd's variations on John, come kiss me now stood alongside variations by Cabezón - called diferencias - on a villancico (reconstructed by Andrés Cea Galán) and several well-known variation works, such as on a Pavana Italiana and the Canto Llano del Caballero. In this programme, Irene Roldán played a virginal alongside the harpsichord from 1699. Last year, she also played at the festival and showed her skills with technically flawless playing and inspired interpretations. This was the case again this year. The difference with Maciej Skrzeczkowski was evident. The latter is clearly a more introverted personality, and this is reflected in his playing style. Obviously, there is plenty of room for such differences. It was clear that Roldán felt completely at ease with Cabezón and, for example, Byrd's variations.
The series was continued by Andrea Buccarella [17] with a recital in which Byrd's music was placed alongside that of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Whereas Byrd and Cabezon may well have met, Byrd and Sweelinck certainly did not know each other personally. Byrd never left England, and Sweelinck never traveled further than once to Antwerp to buy a harpsichord from the Ruckers firm. He may well have known Byrd's music - in any case, he was well acquainted with the style of the English virginalists. This influenced him, and he passed that influence on to his German pupils. In this way, the English style contributed to the development of keyboard music on the continent. Buccarella opened with two free works: the Fantasia (MB 13) by Byrd and the Toccata (SwWV 296) by Sweelinck. They show a clear stylistic similarity, as both are based on improvisation and are dominated by counterpoint. From Byrd, two pieces typical of the virginalist school were also included: the Pavan & Galliard (MB 4) and My Lady Nevells Ground. The latter work is based on a repeated bass theme. From Sweelinck, we heard mainly variation works: that makes sense, as he was known for his mastery of varying a tune. The choice of material shows that he - although almost never abroad - was internationally oriented. We heard Mein junges Leben hat ein End, the Ballo del Granduca and Est-ce Mars. His arrangement of Dowland’s Lachrimae Pavan (Paduana Lachrimae) bears witness to his interest in English music. It was a compelling programme that was played very nicely by Buccarella. In the free works, the improvisational traits came well off, and the lines in the polyphony always remained clear and easy to follow. The variation series were played with great verve. Incidentally, there were quite a few repetitions in this series: this was the second time Byrd's variations on John, come kiss me now were performed, and other pieces were also played more than once. A little more coordination would not have been amiss.
Having skipped Bertrand Cuiller, playing Byrd and Ligeti, I heard the Finnish harpsichordist Aapo Häkkinen [24], who paired Byrd with Johann Sebastian Bach, a not very obvious connection. In the programme, Häkkinen stated: "[Byrd's] compositions do not arise from an unbridled creative urge, but from a process of refinement and elaboration. In that respect, Byrd shows a striking similarity to Johann Sebastian Bach: both developed existing musical ideas into works of deep emotional and spiritual power." He could also have pointed out that both are considered masters of counterpoint. That is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Gustav Leonhardt, whom Häkkinen quoted at the start of his notes, regarded Byrd as "one of the five best composers of all time." Häkkinen opened with works by Byrd. The first two, the Praeludium (MB 115) and the Pavan & Galliard (MB 60), primarily showcased Byrd as a master of counterpoint, as did the Fantasia (MB 25) heard later. One would expect a Lullaby (MB 110) on an organ, but Häkkinen managed to realize the piece very well on the harpsichord. The section dedicated to Byrd ended with his arrangement of John Dowland's If my complaints. That is an example of a piece with "emotional power" - Byrd masterfully managed to translate the character of the song to the keyboard. It received a masterful performance, full of tension, in a tempo that was just right. The second section was dedicated to Bach. Häkkinen opened with a Toccata in f minor that is included in the Appendix of the catalogue of Bach's oeuvre. That is an indication that its authenticity is not established. The work is also attributed to a certain Simon Dobenecker. That makes the choice of this piece somewhat curious. I cannot recall ever having heard it. It is written in the style of the North German organ school, which we also find in Bach's Toccatas for harpsichord. Therefore, the attribution to Bach is not so far-fetched. Like the 'authentic' toccatas, it has a strong improvisational character, and this came off very well in Häkkinen's performance. He concluded with three preludes and fugues from the second volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier, again played very beautifully. Incidentally, in Bach, Häkkinen used a different harpsichord than the Italian instrument on which Byrd's music was played in this series.
The last recital that I was able to attend, was given by Rachel Doubijanski [28], whom I had never heard of. She juxtaposed Byrd and Johann Christian Bach. While in previous concerts one could, sometimes with a little imagination, connect the two composers, Byrd and the youngest Bach son have nothing in common. In her programme notes, Doubijanski made no effort to link them. She played Byrd's pieces on the Italian harpsichord and Johann Christian Bach's works on a larger, two-manual instrument. She opened with a three-part Miserere by Byrd, the only piece she played on a virginal. It was a very short item; there was hardly a need to bring in the virginal. There was nothing wrong with Doubijanski's playing, yet she failed to strike a chord with the audience: she was called back once for applause, but a third time - resulting in an encore - was not to be. I cannot quite put my finger on what exactly was missing. It may have been the way she played the music of Johann Christian Bach. It is written in a galant idiom, which can be a little superficial. A performer then has to do something extra to convey that music convincingly. I felt that Doubijanski failed to do so. I found it difficult to keep my concentration. That is perhaps quite normal towards the end of the festival, but I had less trouble with it in Byrd. In short, I was somewhat disappointed.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Two concerts were entirely devoted to Johann Sebastian Bach. At the first Saturday, Stephan MacLeod and his ensemble Gli Angeli Genève [4] performed the three cantatas for bass solo. Thematically, they are closely related: they express the longing for death, which is seen as the transition to a better life in heaven. MacLeod preceded each cantata with a different work. He had selected pieces that have a thematic relationship with the cantata that followed. Ich habe genug ends with a supplication to God to be allowed to leave the world. This was preceded by Purcell's motet Hear my prayer, O Lord, a supplication from Psalm 102. Der Friede sei mit dir, a cantata for the third day of Easter, concludes with the chorale Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm, the fifth stanza of Christ lag in Todesbanden. The Crucifixus from the Credo, in a setting by Antonio Caldara, which preceded it, was fitting. The cantata Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen concludes with a chorale in which death is characterized as "the brother of sleep", whom one longs for. It was preceded by an aria by Johann Christoph Bach, Es ist nun aus mit meinem Leben, in which a deceased person addresses the surviving relatives with comforting words. It was a nice gesture by MacLeod to dedicate this piece to the memory of the recently deceased bass Harry van der Kamp. This motet is a very expressive piece - it is not without reason that Johann Sebastian held his relative in high esteem as an "expressive composer." Gli Angeli Genève provided a poignant performance, as it did in the two other choral works. I was impressed by the expressive way in which MacLeod performed the three cantatas. The content was conveyed excellently, also thanks to the precise diction and articulation which made the text perfectly intelligible. The instrumental ensemble performed at a high level. Emmanuel Laporte on oboe and oboe da caccia and Eva Saladin on violin deserve special mention.
The second Bach concert took place in Hertz a few days later: Teodoro Baù (viola da gamba) and Andrea Buccarella (harpsichord) [12] performed the three sonatas for viola da gamba and concertante harpsichord. Baù is making quite a name for himself, performs frequently, and has already made several CD recordings, including Bach's sonatas. Both the recital and the recording included one unusual piece: the Sonata in G (BWV 1030b), which is considered an earlier version of what is now usually played as a flute sonata. Baù and Buccarella were not the first who performed it on viola da gamba (as Mr Baù was so kind to inform me), but I had never heard this version. It sounds very convincing this way, and this could well be an interesting addition to the three well-known sonatas, which together are not enough to fill a CD recording or a concert programme. The fact that Baù and Buccarella recorded this music together suggests a perfect ensemble, and that was indeed the case. Baù is a technically gifted player who is also stylistically convincing. He produces a beautiful tone and his interpretation is expressive, with clear accents. In a few movements, the musicians adopted brisk tempos, and in these, Baù demonstrated his technical mastery. A problem with pieces for a melodic instrument and concertante harpsichord is the balance. The experience is partly due to where one is seated. I was seated on the side of the viola da gamba, with the harpsichord behind it. As a result I heard too little of the latter, as soon as the viola da gamba started to play. I don't know how this problem could be solved in a live performance. It didn't spoil my enjoyment this concert, though.
Instrumental music
Each festival also has concerts that have not that much to do with the theme. This year that goes for some concerts with (mainly) instrumental music. Erik Bosgraaf [8], who had brought along a whole collection of recorders, performed, together with Anna Dmitrieva (violin), Sabina Yordanova (dulcian), and Yavor Genov (theorbo), a programme of instrumental canzonas, sonatas, and ricercares from the first half of the 17th century, primarily from Italy. Incidentally, the genres mentioned do not differ fundamentally from one another. The era in which the works on the programme were written, was one of experimentation. Composers fully exploited the possibilities of individual instruments. Referring to what I just wrote about the link with the festival's theme, in this case it is possible to make one: the ideal was to imitate the human voice with instruments. The canzona had its origins in vocal music. In this era, there was no watershed between vocal and instrumental music; the same ornamentation could be applied in both, and the Affekt was a key in both genres. Moreover, composers were quite often inspired by vocal music. In most cases, they left the choice of instruments to the performers. This also means that effects that can only be achieved with, for example, the violin, are omitted in such cases. It also means that pieces by the likes of Frescobaldi, Salomone Rossi, or the Spaniard Bartolomé de Selma y Salaverde can be played on the recorder, even though, as Bosgraaf stated in his programme notes, few music has survived specifically intended for it. Selma y Salaverde is particularly interesting because he was a professional dulcian player. Consequently, this instrument played an important role in the pieces of his performed in this concert. Typical of this period is the composition of increasingly virtuosic treble voices over a repeated bass, such as the Aria di Ruggiero and the Aria della Romanesca (Solomone Rossi) and the Ciacona (Uccellini). Another favourite device was the insertion of echo effects. In the Canzon I by Selma y Salaverde, this was achieved by Bosgraaf moving to the back of the stage and turning his back to the audience. In the Canzona II by Frescobaldi, the echo effect is part of the single treble part. The instrumentalists delivered a fine concert, demonstrating the virtuosic aspects of these works, but also simply making great music.
On the first Saturday the young Belgian ensemble Musica Gloria, directed by Nele Vertommen and Beniamino Paganini [3], made an appearance. The ensemble often performs music that is not mainstream. This concert seemed an exception, as the entire programme was devoted to Purcell, one of the most frequently-performed composers of the baroque era. However, although we heard some well-known pieces by Henry, there were also a few pieces by Daniel, either his brother or his nephew. His music is seldom performed, and the pieces we heard, were not enough to get a really good impression of his qualities. However, although he was not a genius like Henry, the music that we heard certainly suggests that he is well worth being given more attention. He also wrote a piece with the title Sound the trumpet, but then for a solo voice and trumpet. The solo part was sung by the male alto Pieter De Praetere, a new name to me, but one to remember. I liked his voice and his way of singing, as well as the manner of presenting the music in a theatrical, but entirely natural way. The trumpet part was performed by Nele Vertommen on the oboe. There is no fundamental objection against performing music on another instrument than the composer indicated, but it all depends on the result, and in the case of a trio sonata by Henry I was not convinced. It was a compilation of various sonatas, something I don't like very much in the first place. But here the melody parts were played on treble viol and recorder. The limited dynamic range of those instruments seemed to me at odds with the Italian character of Purcell's trio sonatas, which are very violinistic anyway. That said, I very much enjoyed the concert, which was technically excellent and presented in a lively manner. It was a good idea to perform the often very short items as a kind of suite. Musica Gloria could well become a regular at the festival, and that would be very nice.
Music for a few instruments usually is performed in small venues, like Hertz. However, on Wednesday a single violinist played music from the German and Austrian Baroque in the large hall. Emmanuelle Dauvin [16] has devoted herself to a highly unusual way of performance: she accompanies herself on the organ. Not on the manual, of course, as she needs both her hands to play the violin. The accompaniment is performed with her feet on the pedals. She drew inspiration from Nicolaus Bruhns, who was both a professional violinist and organist. It is known that he accompanied himself on the organ. In her programme notes, Dauvin stated that Bach might also have accompanied himself in this way. But that is pure speculation: I have never seen any evidence of it. The fact that this way of accompaniment is specifically mentioned in relation to Bruhns is an indication that it was highly unusual and therefore remarkable. Dauvin previously made a CD on which she accompanies herself in this manner (review). The concept did not convince me, but musically it was pretty good. However, what might sound good on CD can sometimes be disappointing in a live performance. That was the case here as well. An organ with pedals is required for the accompaniment. Such organs are usually larger instruments, which are only found in somewhat larger venues. And that causes problems: the violin is not always clearly audible in a hall like that of TivoliVredenburg. Dauvin had primarily selected pieces based on a basso ostinato, such as the ciaccona from Bach's Partita BWV 1004 and Biber's Passacaglia from the so-called Mystery Sonatas. These are two works for violin without accompaniment, but Dauvin accompanied parts of them on the organ. Here and in other pieces, the basso ostinato was so prominent that it came to dominate the piece and sometimes drowned out the upper voice. That is not what a basso ostinato is meant to do. As far as I could hear the violin, there was nothing wrong with it, but as a whole, this concert has not changed my mind about this performance practice. I see no reason to encourage it, not least because the historical foundation is extremely weak.
Staying in the German-speaking world and back in Hertz, the violinist Josef Žák, with his Ensemble Castelkorn [27], performed a programme of music by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, who spent most of his life working as a violinist at the Imperial Court in Vienna. There, it was his duty to write ballet music that was played primarily during Carnival. His music for violin and his ensemble sonatas are well-known and regularly performed, but his ballet music receives little attention. That is certainly not music with which one can fill an entire concert, so the ensemble played a variety of excerpts from different ballets in alternation with sonatas for violin and basso continuo. Žák is an excellent violinist, who delivered beautiful performances of the violin sonatas. In the ballets, he led the ensemble with flair and passion, with various percussion instruments in the ensemble. The result was a lively and entertaining show. It was not hard to imagine how this music got people dancing back then.
The violinist Sophie de Bardonnèche, with Lucile Boulanger (viola da gamba), and Justin Taylor (harpsichord and organ) [23] showed that "Giving Voice" can have a different meaning: giving a voice and providing the opportunity to be heard to people who are rarely or never heard. Among these are in particular female composers. Among French female composers, we know only one: Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. As was to be expected, she was part of the programme with several of her violin sonatas. These are remarkable because they belong to the earliest French sonatas, showing the influence of the Italian style. We heard one sonata complete and several movements from two others. This left sufficient space to give the floor to female composers whom virtually no one knows and about whom often hardly anything is known. Their names are telling: Mademoiselle Laurent, Mlle Bocquet, Madame Talon. Just like their full names, their dates of birth and death are unknown. Sophie de Bardonnèche invested several years in digging up music by female composers who were active under the Ancien Régime. That was well worth the effort. I do not know how much the various composers have written - it is probably not known. We heard only a few separate pieces, often dances, such as gavotte and minuet. Sometimes these come from collections; it is to be hoped that these will be investigated further. Some music by at least one composer was published during her lifetime: Madame Papavoine. Unfortunately, most of it has been lost. Remarkable was the piece of her pen that was played: La Tempête. That is the kind of imitative music found in operas. Perhaps this is a remnant of an opera by her; she composed four works for the theatre that have all been lost. This piece received a theatrical performance by the artists, who also performed the other works with verve. They gave a fine testimony of their abilities, but - more importantly - this concert was a passionate and convincing plea to give a voice to female composers who are virtually unheard.
Theatrical music
Opera traditionally plays a modest role at the festival, partly for financial reasons, and partly because Utrecht lacks a suitable venue, at least for a staged performance. On Friday evening Reinoud Van Mechelen [26] directed a performance of Alcide ou La mort d'Hercule, composed by Marin Marais in collaboration with Louis Lully and recently reconstructed. The work premiered in 1693; here, the version from 1705 was performed. In the programme, Reinoud Van Mechelen explained roughly what this reconstruction entails. The work is divided into five acts, preceded by a prologue. The latter was omitted, and in the performance, it was not clear where the various acts started and ended. There were three major sections: the first two before the intermission, the last one after. The programme listed only six roles and five soloists: Gwendoline Blondeel took on two roles. Van Mechelen performed the title role and also conducted his orchestra a nocte temporis. A few singers from the, as always, excellent Choeur de Chambre de Namur took care of smaller roles. The programme should have mentioned them; their names can be found on the website of the orchestra. Although this was a concertante performance, without staging and set props, the singers did make much effort to evoke a theatrical atmosphere. French operas contain a great deal of instrumental music; that was also the case in Marais' Alcide, and it was played excellently by the orchestra. Van Mechelen kept the momentum going; it is admirable how he managed to both conduct the orchestra and sing the role of Alcide. He did so brilliantly. His vocal contributions were dramatically and stylistically convincing. Both his anger in the second part and his lamenting in the third came across nicely. Of the other soloists, Isabelle Druet as Déjanire made a particularly good impression. Stylistically, too, she was the most convincing of the three ladies. Gwendoline Blondeel (Iole, La Victoire) and Sterre Decru (Thestylis) gave a good interpretation of their roles, but from a stylistic point of view, I found their contributions a bit disappointing. The soloists from the choir made a better impression in that regard. Philippe Estèphe (Philoctète) was fine, without really impressing. Despite these critical notes, it was a enjoyable event especially thanks to Marais, who demonstrated his dramatic qualities with this work. Alcide is undoubtedly a fine addition to the repertoire of French opera.
As mentioned, instrumental music was a fixed part of French opera. Such music could also be played without a theatrical context; it inspired German composers to write orchestral suites. The Ensemble Odyssee [18] performed a programme of French instrumental music under the title "Theatre without Voices." It focused on the collection Sérénade ou concert, divisé en trois suites de pièces pour les violons, flutes & hautbois by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737), published in 1697. It contains three suites of dances for the aforementioned instruments, which are consistently specified for each piece, deviating from what was customary at the time. Dance played a central role in France: Louis XIV loved dance and even performed as a dancer himself. Dances were an essential part of every opera. Character pieces, in which people, objects, or situations were depicted in sound, were also popular. Montéclair also does that in these suites, such as the sound of trumpets in the suite titled Airs de fanfares. Life at the countryside - or at least what the aristocracy thought it to be - exerted a special attraction. This is evident in the suite with the title Airs champêtres; in this piece, the musette - an instrument associated with country life - plays a role right at the beginning in the Marché des bergers. At the start Antonio Constanla entered the stage playing, while the other musicians waited to join in. The suite ended with a Danse de village. The second suite, entitled Airs tendres, opened with a piece called Sommeil - this depiction of sleep is also part of several operas. The Ensemble Odyssee made a real feast of this programme. Under the committed direction of violinist Eva Saladin, it indeed became a theatrical spectacle of instrumental colours and a variety of rhythms. The ensemble was excellent, and groups of instruments - strings or winds - had the opportunity to present themselves on their own. Montéclair's suites were complemented by works by Jean-Féry Rebel, one of the most creative and original French composers around 1700. The strings had the stage to themselves in the Boutade and the Caprice & Fantasie, while the entire ensemble could be heard in one of Rebel's most famous works, Les caractère de la danse, which concluded the programme. In it, all the dances known at the time were presented once again in a nutshell. It was a sparkling and joyous conclusion to a magnificent show - for that is what we may well call this Theatre without voices.
The end
My last concert at the festival, by Le Poème Harmonique, directed by Vincent Dumestre [30], does not fit into any of the chapters in this review, and that tells something about its character. It was entitled "Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus", referring to the work that concluded the concert. I don't find it easy to describe what exactly the concert was about. This indicates that there was not much cohesian within the programme. According to the programme notes, "[it] traces the evolution of Italian sacred music from the intimate laude spirituale to the richly expressive works of the Venetian Baroque". That is an indication of the tenor of the concert, but the laude of the early 17th century are of a different character than Vivaldi's motets (before the Nisi Dominus we also heard Invicti bellate). The latter pieces are art music, whereas the laude are much closer to traditional or folk music, even though three of the four performed here were written by a known composer, Francisco Soto de Langa and Serafino Razzi respectively. In that respect the two halves of the programme cannot be compared and don't illustrate a natural development. The laude were often sung during processions, and so it made sense that the first piece was performed in a procession of musicians entering the large hall. The nearly complete black-out of the hall made much less sense. Light effects even used to 'illustrate' parts of the text of Nisi Dominus, on "It is vain for you to rise before light" and "The Lord will to his beloved give it in their sleep". These are useless gimmicks. The laude received excellent performances, and the instrumental ensemble also played very well, for instance in Locatelli's Sinfonia funebre (whose role in the programme I found rather unconvincing). I was less happy with the solos by Eva Zaïcik. I have heard fine performances by her, but here her approach was too operatic in a traditional sense of the word, using too much vibrato and with cadenzas that seem to me inappropriate in a work like 'Nisi Dominus'.
Time to take stock. Overall, this was another good edition of the festival. I especially appreciated the concerts with early polyphony. As mentioned, this is fascinating and not well-known repertoire. I hope that the festival is going to play attention to it again in years to come. Although there were performances that did not leave me entirely satisfied, in general I was happy with the quality. However, I have been selective in my choice of concerts to attend. It is notable that I had to miss three of the main evening concerts. One of them (La Tempête) included a complete mass by Frank Martin and other pieces from the 20th century. Although the inclusion of a modern item can make sense, this just goes too far; this is a festival for early music after all. And a concert in which even pop music is included (Art House 17) I can't take seriously. Graindelavoix was also given centre stage, and as I am not convinced about its style of singing, I had to skip that one as well.
As I mentioned, there should have been a little more coordination in the programming, in that I have heard several pieces more than once in the concerts devoted to Byrd (although his oeuvre is large enough to avoid that). I also noted several times that the music and the venue where it was performed, were a rather unlucky combination. That is a serious issue, as it means that the music does not have its full impact, for instance because the texts are hardly intelligible.
Johan van Veen (© 2026)
[1] Huelgas Ensemble/Paul Van Nevel
"Paris 1200"
August 28, Cathedral
[2] Le Concert Spirituel/Hervé Niquet
"Polyphony x 40"
August 28, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[3] Musica Gloria
"Musick for a While: The Purcells"
August 29, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[4] Gli Angeli Genève/Stephan MacLeod, bass
JS Bach: "Ich habe genug - Cantatas for bass"
August 29, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[5] Dialogos/Katarina Livljanic
"Putsch in the Cathedral"
August 29, Pieterskerk
[6] Sollazzo Ensemble/Anna Danilevskaia
"Anonyma?"
August 29, Jacobikerk
[7] Ensemble Correspondances/Sébastien Daucé
"Notre-Dame de Paris: Campra's Requiem"
August 29, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[8] Erik Bosgraaf, recorder, et al
"Uytnemende Phoenixen"
August 31, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[9] Maciej Skrzeczkowski, harpsichord
"The Playing Byrd 3: Byrd & Bull"
August 31, Lutheran Church
[10] Phaedrus, Jonatan Alvarado
"Holy Ghost"
August 31, Pieterskerk
[11] The Marian Consort/Rory McCleery
"The Singing Byrd 1: Singing in Secret"
August 31, St Augustinuskerk
[12] Teodoro Baù, viola da gamba; Andrea Buccarella, harpsichord
JS Bach: Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord
Sept 1, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[13] Irene Roldán, harpsichord
"The Playing Byrd 4: Byrd & Cabezón"
Sept 1, Lutheran Church
[14] Ordo Virtutum/Stefan Johannes Morent
"Notre-Dame de Paris: the polyphonic convent"
Sept 1, Cathedral
[15] The Lyons Mouth
"The Singing Byrd 2: A Flyght Around the Sun"
Sept 1, St Catharinakathedraal
[16] Emmanuelle Dauvin, violin & organ
"Violin and organ for one"
Sept 2, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[17] Andrea Buccarella, harpsichord
"The Playing Byrd 5: Byrd & Sweelinck"
Sept 2, Lutheran Church
[18]Ensemble Odyssee
"Theatre without voices"
Sept 2, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[19] Stile Antico
"The Singing Byrd 3: England's Nightingale"
Sept 2, Cathedral
[20] Gabrieli Consort & Players/Paul McCreesh
"Coronation in Venice, 1595"
Sept 2, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[21] Per-Sonat/Sabine Lutzenberger
"Notre-Dame de Paris: A Vault of Voices"
Sept 3, Pieterskerk
[22] Tenebrae Choir/Nigel Short
"The Singing Byrd 4: Mass for five voices"
Sept 3, Cathedral
[23] Sophie de Bardonnèche, violin; Lucile Boulanger, viola da gamba; Justin Taylor, harpsichord
"Destinées"
Sept 4, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[24] Aapo Häkkinen, harpsichord
"The Playing Byrd 7: Byrd & JS Bach
Sept 4, Lutheran Church
[25] Tenebrae Choir/Nigel Short
"The Singing Byrd 5: Crown & Cross"
Sept 4, Cathedral
[26] Soloists, Choeur de Chambre de Namur, A Nocte Temporis/Reinoud Van Mechelen
Marais: Alcide
Sept 4, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
[27] Ensemble Castelkorn/Josef Zak
"Schmelzer's playing field"
Sept 5, TivoliVredenburg (Hertz)
[28] Rachel Doubijanski, harpsichord
"The Playing Byrd 8: Byrd & JC Bach"
Sept 5, Lutheran Church
[29] RossoPorpora/Walter Testolin
"Diva Laura"
Sept 5, Pieterskerk
[30] Le Poème Harmonique/Vincent Dumestre
"Nisi Dominus"
Sept 5, TivoliVredenburg (large hall)
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