This well-known destination for visitors to Lower Austria belongs among the world’s most important cultural monuments, and its recognition as a lively centre of intellectual and cultural activity is a fitting reflection of its special aura. Serving as a spiritual centre for general education through its integrated high school, the ‘Stift’ is also an international meeting place – associated with the ‘Melker Prozess’ for example – as well as a hub of culture in which the Internationale Barocktage traditionally play a particularly important part.

This year’s Festival opens where last year’s left off, with performances of Handel organ concertos on the harpsichord, led by star violinist Hiro Kurosaki. Wolfgang Glüxam and the ensemble Gradus ad parnassum will continue the enthusiastically received series begun in 2003. The following day, the celebrated French ensemble Cafe Zimmermann will make its Austrian debut with works by the Bach family.

The large-scale programme highlights are inspired by two projects. To mark the 400th anniversary of the first performance of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, the ensemble La Venexiana will be giving a concert performance of this masterpiece under the baton of Claudio Cavina.  And in an airing of the little known oratorio Joaz, the Neue Münchner Hofkapelle will be calling to mind the Venetian composer Benedetto Marcello, who in his day was a figure of considerable repute well beyond the borders of the Serenissima.

One of Austria’s most successful new-generation ensembles is the Oman Consort from Linz. Created by recorder player Michael Oman, the group has already found international acclaim with its Vivaldi CD. They will be presenting virtuoso concertos by the red-headed priest from Venice for the first time in concert, music rich in passion breathing the sun and salty sea air of the lagoon city. The British vocal group the King’s Singers is hardly a stranger on the ensemble scene. To conclude the month of May, traditionally a month of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the ensemble will be singing a programme of motets, chansons and madrigals by Byrd, des Pres, Willaert, Monteverdi and Gesualdo.

The Festival will be rounded off with an evening of music marking the 300th anniversary of the death of Dietrich Buxtehude, in which the harpsichordist Bob van Asperen, the organist Leo van Doeselaar and the Oman Consort Linz will be presenting the Lübeck organist and composer as a specialist of north German organ culture. Compositions by J. S. Bach, Froberger and Italian contemporaries will illustrate Buxtehude’s international sources of inspiration, while also indicating the far-reaching magnetic force of his musical personality.
Information and tickets on www.barocktage.at