Building on an exciting mix of music and artists in the current season, the Barbican's Great Performers Series 2007-8 once more brings together the best of the world's singers, conductors and musicians in an eclectic feast of great music.
As ever, some of the most renowned singers are appearing in a number of programmes. Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky returns to the hall on 9 October 2007 with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in a wide range of Russian sacred and secular music. Later that month, Miah Persson and Christianne Stotijn join Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli consort for Beethoven's Missa solemnis (18 October), while William Christie's brilliant Les Arts Florissants brings Landi's rarely-heard Il Sant'Allessio on 24 October. Popular Canadian tenor Ben Heppner sings a range of Sibelius' songs on 10 November as part of a festival celebrating the composer's works by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen; the previous day, star soprano Karita Mattila joins them for Kaija Saariaho's Quatre Instants.
Mezzo Magdalena Kozena returns on 15 November for a selection of arias by Handel, while three highlights of December are the London Symphony Orchestra's concert performances of Britten's Billy Budd with Ian Bostridge (7 and 9 December), the return of Emmanuelle Haim and Natalie Dessay in choral works by Bach and Handel (17 December), and Harry Christophers and The Sixteen in a seasonal performance of Handel's Messiah (13 December); fans of Cecilia Bartoli may be devastated to know that her concert on 19 December is already sold out, but perhaps it's worth queuing for returns?
A year-long festival celebrating Ian Bostridge takes in the fore-mentioned Billy Budd as well as Mozart's Idomeneo (co-starring Christine Rice, Emma Bell and Kate Royal, 14 May 2008), an evening of Schubert Lieder (14 January 2008), the St John Passion (14 March 2008), Schubert's Winterreise with Mitsuko Uchida (21 October 2008) and Britten's Saint Nicholas (6 December 2008).
Andreas Scholl offers an evening of Handel's Cantatas on 21 January 2008, while Natalie Dessay follows her recent ROH triumph with a concert of popular Italian opera arias on 26 January. 19 February brings a concert performance of Vivaldi's Tito Manlio, while Thomas Quasthoff and Bernarda Fink join forces on 5 April for Bach Cantatas.
Rounding off the season are appearances by tenors Roberto Alagna (2 May 2008) and Juan Diego Florez (12 July) and a concert performance of Handel's Flavio with The Academy of Ancient Music on 17 April 2008.
The big orchestras are just as much in evidence as ever, with Valery Gergiev teaming up with the Vienna Philharmonic in February 2008, Riccardo Chailly bringing his historic Leipzig Gewandhaus (6 June) and Mariss Jansons returning for another two performances with the Royal Concertgebouw in late June 2008.
Itzhak Perlman (13 November 2007), Murray Perahia (12 February 2008) and Piotr Anderszewski (15 March) complete a tempting line-up of great musicians.
In all, there's much to look forward to, and with a complimentary mix of contemporary music, the Mostly Mozart Festival in July and August, and various theatrical and cinematic presentations, the Barbican is to be admired for its imaginative programming.