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 Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Formed: 1986

Artist's website: https://oae.co.uk/

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera Artistic Associate at Kings Place, and has its headquarters at Acland Burghley School. The leadership is rotated between four musicians: Matthew Truscott, Kati Debretzeni, Huw Daniel and Margaret Faultless.

A group of period instrumentalist players formed the OAE as a self-governing ensemble in 1986, and took its name from the historical period in the late 18th century where the core of its repertoire is based. The OAE does not have a principal conductor, but chooses conductors individually. The current Principal Artists are Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, Iván Fischer, John Butt, Sir Mark Elder and András Schiff.

Further Reading: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Recording of the Week, Rossini's Semiramide from Mark Elder

Rossini's final Italian opera seria receives a taut, compelling reading on period instruments in an interpretation which plays up its baroque pedigree to great effect.

Recording of the Week, JS Bach: St John Passion from Polyphony and Layton

The crowd-scenes crackle with terrifying energy and Ian Bostridge’s volatile Evangelist brings great narrative momentum, whilst Iestyn Davies and Richard Tunnicliffe’s eloquence in ‘Es ist vollbracht’ is worth the price of the set alone.

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