Kean

This programme is like a lavishly laid festive table set in the heart of Krakow: behind the dishes lie deep emotions, rich tradition and special musical seasonings. It kicks off with Stanisław Moniuszko’s fabulous fantasy overture, which combines a pinch of romance and a helping of fairy dust with lots of dramatic magic.

The Innermost Room (or tisztaszoba, literally, ‘clean room’) is an ornately furnished room in provincial homes, which is kept clean at all times and is reserved primarily for the reception of valued guests. In the Székesfehérvár Ballet Theatre’s dance theatrical production, this room with a special status in the house is a metaphor or symbol, denoting a ‘place’ where we keep the treasured secrets of our soul.

Attendind a performance of Messiah is always a thrilling experience, but it is especially so when Handel’s work – which has become a national classic in England – is performed by a dedicated ensemble like the legendary German flagship of the international early-music scene: the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, now with over 44 years of history behind it. The storied chamber orchestra will perform with one of the world’s finest mixed choirs, the RIAS Kammerchor, which also hails from Berlin and was founded in the years immediately following the Second World War.