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The '''Boston Early Music Festival''' ('''BEMF''') is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 in [[Boston]], Massachusetts, U.S., to promote [[Historically informed performance|historical music performance]]. It presents an annual concert series in Boston and [[New York City]], produces opera recordings, and organizes a weeklong Festival and Exhibition every two years in Boston. A centerpiece of these festivals has been a fully staged Baroque opera production.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Boston Early Music Festival's Psyché.jpg|thumb|250px|Young Cupid ([[Frederick Metzger]]) visits Psyché ([[Carolyn Sampson]]) in Boston Early Music Festival's 2007 production of the French Baroque opera [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]]'s ''[[Psyché (opera)|Psyché]]''.{{Pufc|1=Boston Early Music Festival's Psyché.jpg|date=7 December 2014}}]] -->
One of BEMF’s main goals is to unearth lesser-known Baroque operas, which are then performed by the world’s leading musicians armed with the latest information on period singing, orchestral performance, costuming, dance, and staging at each biennial Festival. BEMF operas are led by the BEMF Artistic Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, BEMF Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, and BEMF Opera Director Gilbert Blin. In 2008, BEMF introduced its Chamber Opera Series as part of its annual concert season. The series presents semi-staged productions of chamber operas composed during the Baroque period. In 2011, BEMF took its chamber production of Handel’s ''[[Acis and Galatea (Handel)|Acis and Galatea]]'' on a four-city North-American tour. In 2004, BEMF initiated a project to record some of its work in the field of Baroque opera on the CPO recording label. The series has since earned four Grammy Award nominations.


{{Infobox music festival
At each Festival, concerts are presented every day from morning until late at night. Concerts are given by an array of established luminaries and rising stars in the field of early music worldwide. BEMF concerts also allow for unique, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations and programs by the spectacular array of talent assembled for the Festival week's events. In addition, there are many scheduled ''Fringe'' concerts and events, presented both by local and out-of-town groups at a number of venues in Boston and Cambridge. The Exhibition at the Festival is the largest event of its kind in the United States, showcasing over one hundred early instrument makers, music publishers, service organizations, schools and universities, and associated colleagues.
| name = Boston Early Music Festival
| location = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], [[United States]]
| years_active = 1981–present
| genre = [[Early music]]
| website = {{URL|bemf.org}}
}}


The '''Boston Early Music Festival''' ('''BEMF''') is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], to promote [[Historically informed performance|historical music performance]]. It arranges an annual Boston and [[New York City]] concert series, produces opera recordings, and organizes a biennial week-long Festival and Exhibition in Boston.
In 1989, BEMF established an annual concert series to meet the increasing demand for year-round performances of early music. BEMF then expanded its concert series in 2006, when it began presenting performances to New York City at [[The Morgan Library & Museum]]. BEMF's annual season now sets the bar nationally for early music performance and has featured such musicians as [[The Tallis Scholars]], [[Jordi Savall]] and [[Hespèrion XXI]], and [[Les Arts Florissants (ensemble)|Les Arts Florissants]], as well as the North American débuts of [[Stile Antico (early music vocal ensemble)|Stile Antico]], [[Bach Collegium Japan]], [[Netherlands Bach Society]], and [[Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin]].


== History ==
==Operas staged by the Boston Early Music Festival==
One of BEMF's goals is to bring attention to lesser-known [[Baroque]] [[opera]]s, which are performed with period singing, orchestral performance, costuming, dance and staging. The centerpiece of the biennial festivals is a fully staged Baroque opera production. BEMF operas are led by Artistic Directors [[Paul O'Dette]] and [[Stephen Stubbs]], Orchestra Director [[Robert Mealy]], and Opera Director Gilbert Blin.

During each Festival, concerts are presented daily from morning until late at night. They are performed by an array of musicians, ranging from the established to the emerging, and allow for unique collaborations and programs by performers assembled for the Festival week. Scheduled "Fringe" concerts and events are presented by local and out-of-town groups at venues in Boston and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]].

BEMF's annual season has featured such musicians as [[The Tallis Scholars]], [[Jordi Savall]] and [[Hespèrion XXI]], and [[Les Arts Florissants (ensemble)|Les Arts Florissants]], as well as the North American débuts of [[Stile Antico (early music vocal ensemble)|Stile Antico]], [[Bach Collegium Japan]], [[Netherlands Bach Society]], and [[Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin]].

The BEMF promotes the 'Exhibition at the Festival' as the largest event of its kind in the [[United States]]. The exhibition showcases over 100 early instrument makers, music publishers, service organizations, schools and universities, and associated colleagues.

In 1989, BEMF established an annual concert series to meet demand for year-round performances of [[early music]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABOUT US |url=https://bemf.org/about-us/ |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=Boston Early Music Festival |language=en-US}}</ref> This was expanded in 2006 with performances at [[The Morgan Library & Museum]] in New York City.

In 2004, a project was initiated to record some of BEMF's work in the field of Baroque opera on the CPO recording label. The series earned five Grammy Award nominations, including a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chamber Operas over the Years |url=https://bemf.org/bemf-opera/current-chamber-opera/chamber-operas-over-the-years/ |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=Boston Early Music Festival |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2008, BEMF introduced a Chamber Opera Series as part of its annual concert season. The series presents semi-staged productions of chamber operas composed during the Baroque period. In 2011, BEMF took its chamber production of Handel's ''[[Acis and Galatea (Handel)|Acis and Galatea]]'' on a four-city North American tour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABOUT US |url=https://bemf.org/about-us/ |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=Boston Early Music Festival |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Operas staged==
[[Image:Jean-Baptiste Lully.jpeg|thumb|150px|BEMF presented operas by Lully in 2001 and 2007]]
[[Image:Jean-Baptiste Lully.jpeg|thumb|150px|BEMF presented operas by Lully in 2001 and 2007]]
* ''[[King Arthur (opera)|King Arthur]]'' by [[Henry Purcell]] (1995)
* ''[[King Arthur (opera)|King Arthur]]'' by [[Henry Purcell]] (1995)
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* ''[[Thésée]]'' by [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]] (2001)
* ''[[Thésée]]'' by [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]] (2001)
* ''Ariadne'' by [[Johann Georg Conradi]] (2003)
* ''Ariadne'' by [[Johann Georg Conradi]] (2003)
* ''Boris Goudenow'' by [[Johann Mattheson]] (2005)
* ''[[Boris Goudenow]]'' by [[Johann Mattheson]] (2005)
* ''[[Psyché (opera)|Psyché]]'' by Jean-Baptiste Lully (2007)
* ''[[Psyché (opera)|Psyché]]'' by Jean-Baptiste Lully (2007)
* ''[[Venus and Adonis (opera)|Venus and Adonis]]'' by [[John Blow]] (2008)
* ''[[Venus and Adonis (opera)|Venus and Adonis]]'' by [[John Blow]] (2008)
* ''[[Actéon]]'' by [[Marc-Antoine Charpentier]] (2008)
* ''[[Actéon (opera)|Actéon]]'' by [[Marc-Antoine Charpentier]] (2008)
* ''[[L'incoronazione di Poppea]]'' by [[Claudio Monteverdi]] (2009)
* ''[[L'incoronazione di Poppea]]'' by [[Claudio Monteverdi]] (2009)
* ''[[Acis and Galatea (Handel)|Acis and Galatea]]'' by [[George Frideric Handel]] (2009)
* ''[[Acis and Galatea (Handel)|Acis and Galatea]]'' by [[George Frideric Handel]] (2009)
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* ''[[Niobe, regina di Tebe]]'' by [[Agostino Steffani]] (2011)
* ''[[Niobe, regina di Tebe]]'' by [[Agostino Steffani]] (2011)
* ''[[La descente d'Orphée aux enfers]]'' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (2011)
* ''[[La descente d'Orphée aux enfers]]'' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (2011)
* ''La Couronne de Fleurs'' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (2011)
* ''La couronne de fleurs'' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (2011)
* ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' by Claudio Monteverdi (2012)
* ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' by Claudio Monteverdi (2012)
* ''[[Almira]]'' by George Frideric Handel (2013)
* ''[[Almira]]'' by George Frideric Handel (2013)
* ''[[La serva padrona]]'' by [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]] (2014)
* ''[[La serva padrona]]'' by [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]] (2014)
* ''Livietta e Tracolo'' by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (2014)
* ''[[Livietta e Tracollo]]'' by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (2014)
* ''[[Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria]]'' by Claudio Monteverdi (2015)
* ''[[Les plaisirs de Versailles]]'' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (2016)
* ''Les fontaines de Versailles'' by [[Michel Richard Delalande]] (2016)
* ''[[Le carnaval de Venise]]'' by [[Andre Campra]] (2017)
* ''[[La liberazione di Ruggiero]]'' by [[Francesca Caccini]] (2018)
* ''[[Orlando generoso]]'' by [[Agostino Steffani]] (2019)


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{GroveOnline|Boston, Section 7 (i)|Burkat, Leonard, and Pamela Fox|8 August|2007}}
*{{Cite Grove |last=Burkat |first=Leonard |last2=Fox |first2=Pamela |title=Boston, Section 7 (i)|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite journal
*{{cite journal
| last =Jaffee
| last =Jaffee
| first =Kay
| first =Kay
| title =Conference Report: Boston Early Music Festival and Exhibition, May 26–31, 1981
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Conference Report: Boston Early Music Festival and Exhibition, May 26-31, 1981
| journal =The Journal of Musicology
| journal =The Journal of Musicology
| volume =1
| volume =1
Line 42: Line 65:
| pages =125–129
| pages =125–129
| date =January 1982
| date =January 1982
| url =
| doi =10.1525/jm.1982.1.1.03a00150
| doi =10.1525/jm.1982.1.1.03a00150
| id = }}
}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.bemf.org/ }}
*{{Official website|http://www.bemf.org/ }}

{{Classical music festival}}
{{Historically informed performance}}
{{Historically informed performance}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Classical music festivals in the United States]]
[[Category:Classical music festivals in the United States]]
[[Category:Early music festivals]]
[[Category:Early music festivals]]
[[Category:Music of Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Music festivals in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Festivals in Boston]]
[[Category:Festivals in Boston]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Boston]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Boston]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 1980]]
[[Category:1980 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Boston]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Boston]]
[[Category:Music festivals established in 1980]]
[[Category:Music festivals established in 1980]]

Latest revision as of 03:34, 26 June 2024

Boston Early Music Festival
GenreEarly music
Location(s)Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Years active1981–present
Websitebemf.org

The Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 in Boston, Massachusetts, to promote historical music performance. It arranges an annual Boston and New York City concert series, produces opera recordings, and organizes a biennial week-long Festival and Exhibition in Boston.

History

[edit]

One of BEMF's goals is to bring attention to lesser-known Baroque operas, which are performed with period singing, orchestral performance, costuming, dance and staging. The centerpiece of the biennial festivals is a fully staged Baroque opera production. BEMF operas are led by Artistic Directors Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, and Opera Director Gilbert Blin.

During each Festival, concerts are presented daily from morning until late at night. They are performed by an array of musicians, ranging from the established to the emerging, and allow for unique collaborations and programs by performers assembled for the Festival week. Scheduled "Fringe" concerts and events are presented by local and out-of-town groups at venues in Boston and Cambridge.

BEMF's annual season has featured such musicians as The Tallis Scholars, Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI, and Les Arts Florissants, as well as the North American débuts of Stile Antico, Bach Collegium Japan, Netherlands Bach Society, and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

The BEMF promotes the 'Exhibition at the Festival' as the largest event of its kind in the United States. The exhibition showcases over 100 early instrument makers, music publishers, service organizations, schools and universities, and associated colleagues.

In 1989, BEMF established an annual concert series to meet demand for year-round performances of early music.[1] This was expanded in 2006 with performances at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

In 2004, a project was initiated to record some of BEMF's work in the field of Baroque opera on the CPO recording label. The series earned five Grammy Award nominations, including a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.[2]

In 2008, BEMF introduced a Chamber Opera Series as part of its annual concert season. The series presents semi-staged productions of chamber operas composed during the Baroque period. In 2011, BEMF took its chamber production of Handel's Acis and Galatea on a four-city North American tour.[3]

Operas staged

[edit]
BEMF presented operas by Lully in 2001 and 2007

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ABOUT US". Boston Early Music Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  2. ^ "Chamber Operas over the Years". Boston Early Music Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  3. ^ "ABOUT US". Boston Early Music Festival. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
[edit]