Midi du Festival — TODAY'S BAROQUE MUSIC

With Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, Samson and the two Iphigénies, the 2024 Festival d'Aix embraces all that is baroque, thus reflecting the undeniable energy that defines the repertoire today, as well as the exceptional artists who perform it. In this discussion, several figures from this year’s productions explore the underpinning reasons for this great success. What is it about the baroque repertoire that affects us so deeply today? Performing this repertoire also involves concrete technical challenges: How do you choose the pitch? Must the music be played on period instruments? Is the way you work with instrumentalists and singers different in this repertoire than in others? Do women, especially conductors, have the same status here as in other aesthetics? Finally, how is the ecosystem of baroque music changing today, given both the institutionalisation of major ensembles and the need to make room for a new generation?

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF: Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor - Iphigénie en Aulide — Iphigénie en Tauride), Fabián Schofrin (musical assistant and language coach - Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), Camille Delaforge (resident woman conductor - Voice Residency), Julie Roset (L'Ange - Samson) et Caroline Mounier-Vehier (doctor of theatre studies).