In 1997, under the artistic leadership of Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, BEMF embarked on a unique project to identify and produce the most important examples of undiscovered Baroque operas, beginning with Rossi’s Orfeo (1647) and continuing with a series of triumphs marking a deliberate march through time, including Cavalli’s Ercole Amante (1662), Lully’s Thésée (1675), and Conradi’s Ariadne (1691).  As BEMF searched for a significant opera to represent the first decade of the 18th century, the extraordinary rediscovery of Mattheson’s Boris Goudenow in 1998 came to light.  In addition to bringing together the Russian and pan-European history of Baroque opera, Boris contains all of the widely appealing features that BEMF audiences especially cherish—a rich and beautiful score, memorable arias, small ensemble and large choral pieces, and plenty of dance, all supported by our trademark, world-class and sumptuous continuo orchestra. 

The 13th biennial Boston Early Music Festival & Exhibition will focus on Germany, Russia and the Baltic States: Music in the Maritime World of Northern Europe and  take place in Boston from June 13-19, 2005.  Throughout the Festival week, countless other activities will take place all over Boston, including: 

• dozens of “official” Festival concerts performed by the finest artists and ensembles in the field today; 
• the world-famous BEMF Exhibition, the largest trade show for early music in the United States; 
• a very special one-day Mini-Festival, tracing the development of the organ in Northern Germany; 
• numerous performance master classes, scholarly presentations and panel discussions; 
• over 100 concurrent event concerts related to the Festival’s theme; 
• a wonderfully entertaining Family Day program;