HGOAntiqua Orchestra
ABOUT HGOAntiqua
SUPPORTING YOUNG INSTRUMENTALISTS
HGO seeks to ensure that the musical experiences of all its productions match, as far as is possible, the intentions of their composers. So for our productions of pre-classical works we have sought over recent years to use period instruments for our accompanying orchestras and ensembles, under the name ‘HGOAntiqua’. This means that not only can we advance young singers, but also support young instrumentalists specializing in period instruments, and enable both singers and instrumentalists to experience together the pre-classical sound world of opera, with its use of continuo, different-timbred instruments and pre 19th-century pitch, with A=415 Hz. We are amongst the few UK opera companies that offer such opportunities.
Lidarti’s ‘Ester’ (2022): Andrew Griffiths conducts HGOAntiqua, with the Londinium Chorus
To date HGOAntiqua has featured in our productions of Handel’s ‘Partenope’ (2019, Jacksons Lane Theatre), Cavalli’s ‘L’Egisto’ (2021, The Cockpit Theatre) and Blow’s ‘Venus and Adonis’ and Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (2022, The Cockpit Theatre). We also featured HGOAntiqua for our performance (the first in the UK) of Cristiano Lidarti’s 1774 Hebrew oratorio, ‘Ester’ (March 2022).
HGOAntiqua accompanied our 2023 production of Handel’s ‘Agrippina’ at Jacksons Lane Theatre, to enthusiastic reviews – “an excellent band of period instruments” (Seen and Heard International ); “the orchestra at every point verged on stupendous” (Classical Music Daily).
Most recently they backed our 2024 ‘Fairy Queen’ of Purcell – “HGOAntiqua Orchestra – Seb Gillot directing them from the harpsichord – sounded marvellous” (Plays To See), “a real understanding of the techniques appropriate to Purcell’s music” (Andrew Benson-Wilson), “magically supported by HGOAntiqua Orchestra” (Ham & High).
Agrippina (2023)
Rehearsing for Agrippina (2023): Thomas Payne conducts
HGOAntiqua directed by Seb Gillot, ‘Venus and Adonis’, June 2022
Cavalli’s ‘L’Egisto’ (2019): director Marcio da Silva