Orfeo is being mounted in celebration of the 400th anniversary of its first performance with a strong cast including baritone Furio Zanasi (Orfeo), Anna Simboli (Eurydice) and Sara Mingardo (Messagera) supported by Concerto Italiano directed by Rinaldo Alessandrini. Orfeo will be given in the Basilica of Notre-Dame.

The following evening (14 July) Figaro is scheduled in the festival’s favourite location, the magically atmospheric open air surroundings of the Cour des Hospices. Directed by the youthful French conductor Jérémie Rhorer, the cast also features a number of young singers, including the outstanding soprano Sophie Karthäuser as Susanna, Siri Thornhill (Countess), Riccardo Novaro (Figaro) and Andrew Foster-Williams (Count).

More Mozart in the Cour follows the next weekend on July 21, this time Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Marc Minkowski directing Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble. The cast includes Marlis Petersen (Konstanze), Christoph Strehl (Belmonte) and Alan Ewing as Osmin. The remaining large-scale work at year’s festival is Haydn’s oratorio The Creation, which will be performed in Notre-Dame under the baton of William Christie on 27 July.

Christie’s association with Beaune dates back almost as far as its inception, so it seems appropriate that he should be in charge of a performance especially celebrating the festival’s 25th anniversary. The soloists include Genia Kühmeier (Gabriel), Steve Davislim (Uriel) and Dietrich Henschel (Raphael), with the chorus and orchestra of Les Arts Florissants. Among other events that particularly take the eye are programmes by Jean Tubéry, the Chamber Choir of Namur and Ensemble La Fenice devoted to festive Venetian music by Giovanni Gabrieli (22 July), and a Beaune favourite, Paul McCreesh, who brings his Gabrieli forces to the festival for two of Purcell’s Cecilian odes (7 July).

Both these events take place in Notre-Dame, as do sacred music concerts by two other familiar Beaune faces, Sigiswald Kuijken and Ton Koopman. Kuijken’s programme continues his exploration of Bach’s cantatas employing single voices to a part with his orchestra La Petite Bande (6 July), while on 20 July Koopman honours the Buxtehude commemorations with four of his cantatas given with his Amsterdam Baroque Choir and Orchestra.

Last, but certainly not least of the concerts is "Folias and Romanescas", a programme given by Hespérion XXI under their director, Jordi Savall (28 July). Three recitals given in the Salles des Pôvres of the Hospices complete an appetizing menu: countertenor Lawrence Zazzo in a programme of operatic arias by Handel, Vivaldi and Purcell (8 July); mezzo Renata Pokupic, this year’s Cherubino, in arias by Handel, Gluck and Mozart (15 July); and Andreas Scholl, whose programme "Ayres & Folksongs" by Dowland, Campion and others brings the festival to a close, the recital being followed by a special "Italian Baroque Buffet" in the gardens of the Hospice (29 July).