When they’re interpreted badly, we long for the next aria, but when they’re interpreted well we hold our breath in anticipation: in the operas of the Baroque and Classical eras, the recitatives drive the plot forward. This form of sung speech enables singers to deliver lines as freely as actors, to play with tempi and timbres and to bring an evening of musical theatre truly to life. In this master class, Baroque specialist Chiara Cattani shares her knowledge of the forms of recitative. This season she takes on the musical direction of Isacco from the pianoforte.

Day ticket: €10