Le Concert d’Astrée returned to the Palau de la Música Catalana with BCN Clàssics, offering a Baroque programme full of energy under the direction of Emmanuelle Haïm. The concert opened with Durante’s Concerto a quattro for strings, a vibrant start that led into the Salve Regina settings by Scarlatti and Leo, where Carlo Vistoli and Emőke Baráth captivated the audience with voices full of sensitivity.
In the second half, Locatelli’s Sinfonia funebre set the mood for a deeply moving performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, marked by great rapport between the soloists. Haïm closed the evening with two encores by Händel: “Dolci chiodi” from La Resurrezione and “Who calls my parting soul from death” from Esther, which delighted the audience.
The orchestra, conductor, and soloists demonstrated admirable chemistry, the result of an intense tour that has already taken them through several French cities and will continue in Oviedo and Madrid.