Midsummer Mozartiade

With this in mind, we are presenting not one, but two operas. Namely Mozart's La finta giardiniera and Handel's Acis and Galatea. Two tales of thwarted love in the countryside. Both in the welcome intimacy and fine acoustics of the Théâtre des Martyrs. Both under the direction of seasoned music and theatre professionals. We are also turning our series of free concerts into a true festival of voices. Three splendid programmes with quartets, duets or solos, performed by outstanding singers and top-flight organists. All three take their inspiration from the figure of Baron Gottfried van Swieten (diplomat and patron in the Age of Enlightenment) and feature works by master composers from Bach to Beethoven. Moreover, we will be moving our free concerts to a new venue (eminently 18th century and well-shielded from the vagaries of the Belgian weather). Namely Notre-Dame du Finistère, the beautiful church in the nearby rue Neuve, just around the corner from the Place des Martyrs. And, as usual, our lyrical rendezvous at the theatre will be complemented by pre-show talks (Let's talk opera!) and a free lecture at the Maison CFC bookshop (focus on Gottfried van Swieten).