In 1958 Jean Barraqué composed music for a project for the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ which never made it to the stage. 60 years later it is now finally receiving its première in Vienna.

As the repertoire of Janáček’s symphonic compositions is not extensive, two new arrangements of his works represent a welcome addition to this repertoire.

It is well worth rediscovering Gabriel Fauré’s orchestral works and concertante pieces. And here, the Urtext editions from Bärenreiter’s Complete Edition can help.

Philipp Maintz has composed hängende gärten for large orchestra for the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin – an evocative allusion to the gardens of Babylon which Nebuchadnezzar II had built for his wife Semiramis. “It is precisely this image which for me best fits with the idea of this orchestral piece”, says the composer: “a park in which you can plant, garden, tend and see plants growing (yes, actually write ‘music from music’) – yet also a ‘garden of longing’ in which things should flower beautifully, but also run wild.” The first performance is on 28 May 2017 in the Philharmonie Berlin conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.

Bärenreiter Praha is publishing the A minor Violin Concerto and the Slavonic Rhapsodies, two works which urgently needed new editions.

The Göttingen Handel Festival traditionally opens with a new production of an opera – this year on May 19 it’s Handel’s opera seria Lotario. Meanwhile in Halle, the late oratorio Jephtha is presented by Halle Opera on 26 May for the opening of the Handel Festival there. Tatjana Gürbaca, one of the most sought-after directors of her generation, is responsible for this production, and the conductor is Christoph Spering. A new edition of the opulently-scored 2nd version of 1732 of the oratorio Esther, published in the Halle Handel Edition, has been prepared specially for the first performance using this edition in Halle. The performers on 3 June include top soloists, the chorus of the Capella Cracoviensis and the Italian instrumental ensemble La Risonanza conducted by Fabio Bonizzoni.

At the age of 78 Georg Philipp Telemann wrote his resurrection oratorio for Hamburg. In it he was able to draw on the full experience of his long composing career. A magnificent alternative for Passiontide concerts.