Music criticism

A refreshing baroque concert

The Catalan Baroque Orchestra and the Madrigal Choir offer an interesting evening at the Palau de la Música.

Catalan Baroque Orchestra and Madrigal Choir

  • Palace of Music. July 2, 2025

Whether due to the interest in the pieces chosen, the quality of the two ensembles performing on the stage of the Palau de la Música, or the need for refuge from the infernal heat of these days, the fact is that the modernist hall was more than fully booked on Wednesday night. And yet, the Wagnerian evening at the Liceu that same day was also tempting.

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Opting for kilometer zero, the author of these lines was able to enjoy a refreshing baroque concert with two practically contemporary composers (Vivaldi and Handel) and one slightly older one (Alessandro Scarlatti). Magnified RV 610 of the Venetian and the Dixit Dominus HWV 232 The Saxon salad was the perfect excuse to enjoy a good musical afternoon. Salad, moreover, for the Thick Concerto in B flat major No. 7 from Opus 6 by Handel and on the other Thick concert, in this case minor, by Scarlatti.

The Catalan Baroque Orchestra is in good health, and its trademark dynamics and accents were able to convey the originality and beauty of the works with dedication and enthusiasm. The only objection to the ensemble's overall performance was a slight tuning problem in the first violins in the Handel concerto (which opened the program).

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With poise, catchy energy, and precise, concise, and enthusiastic conducting, Pere Lluís Biosca led the two sacred pieces by Vivaldi and Handel. He also led a supple Madrigal Choir with vocal quality in all four ranges for both pieces, for four and five voices respectively. It's a shame about the occasional erratic tuning in some passages for sopranos. Juravit Dominus and You be priests of the Handelian work. And some interventions by countertenor Oriol Rosés, barely audible in the lower register. The rest demonstrated the overall quality and professionalism of the proposal, led by the magnificent voice of soprano Marta Mathéu. Strenuous and commendable solo interventions by some members of Madrigal, especially soprano Gemma Cuní, and a memorable ending in the final fugue that closes the Gloria Patri of the Dixit Dominus.