Conductor

Alan Curtis

1934 — 2015

About

Albums

Handel: Rodelinda

Simone Kermes, Marijana Mijanovic, Steve Davislim, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Il Complesso Barocco, Alan Curtis

About

Alan Curtis

Alan Curtis was born in Michigan in the United States in 1934. An early advocate of historically informed performances of 17th- and 18th-century music and a pioneer in the revival of neglected Baroque masterpieces, his "reconstruction" of L'incoronazione di Poppea marked the first time in centuries that the work had been performed without modern re-orchestration. The American conductor, harpsichordist, and scholar studied with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam from 1957 to 1959 and after years spent between Berkeley and Europe, he devoted his full time to performance, principally of operas ranging from Monteverdi to Mozart. Curtis made his La Scala debut conducting Handel’s Ariodante in 1980, and in 1982, gave the modern premiere of Jommelli's La schiava liberata with the Netherlands Opera. He conducted Gluck’s Armide in the restored Bibiena theatre in Bologna and again in two further productions, including one with his own period-instrument orchestra at the Châtelet in Paris. He also gave the first modern performance of Handel's Rodrigo, in Innsbruck, Madeira and Lisbon. A noted interpreter of Vivaldi, Curtis gave the modern premiere of Giustino at Palladio's Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza in 1985, with other notable operatic performances through the decade, including Cimarosa's Gli Orazi ed i Curiazi and Handel’s Floridante. In 1992, Curtis founded Il Complesso Barocco, a chamber group of young vocal and instrumental soloists, who specialised in performing the Italian madrigals of composers such as Marenzio, Monteverdi, Gesualdo and d'India, together with vocal and instrumental music from the later Baroque, most notably operas by Handel and Vivaldi. Curtis also conducted Vivaldi's La fida ninfa at the theatre in Verona for which it was composed, the first modern performance of Vivaldi’s Ercole sul Termodonte at the 2006 Spoleto Festival, and the following year at Spoleto, a new production of Handel’s Ariodante. Curtis, whose award-winning discography is extensive, both as harpsichordist and conductor, made his first recording for Archiv Produktion in the 1970s. He has conducted a series of highly acclaimed Baroque opera sets for the Silver Label, including Handel’s Rodelinda, Floridante and Tolomeo, as well as the first recording of Vivaldi’s recently rediscovered and reconstructed Motezuma. Alan Curtis passed away in Florence, Italy in 2015.

The Life and Works of Alan Curtis: A Pioneer in Reviving Baroque Masterpieces

Alan Curtis, an American conductor, harpsichordist, and musicologist, was celebrated for his transformative influence on the performance and revival of Baroque music. Born in Mason, Michigan, in 1934, he played a pivotal role in the historically informed performance movement, especially through his reconstructions and modern premieres of overlooked 17th- and 18th-century works.

Early Life and Education

Curtis's early education included a Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University and a Master of Music from the University of Illinois, where he focused on the French composer Louis Couperin’s unmeasured preludes. He completed his PhD with a dissertation on Sweelinck's keyboard music, a work still regarded as authoritative today. Receiving a Fulbright scholarship, Curtis studied with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam from 1957 to 1959, collaborating on recordings of Bach’s concerti for multiple harpsichords. These formative years ignited his passion for historically informed performances, using period instruments and practices that would become his hallmark.

Career Highlights and Contributions to Baroque Music

Returning to the US, Curtis divided his time between academic positions and a vibrant European performing career. He became an early champion of reviving and reconstructing Baroque operas, most notably Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, which he presented without modern re-orchestration for the first time in centuries.

Curtis made significant strides in his career throughout the 1980s, one of which was his La Scala debut in 1980 as the conductor for Handel’s Ariodante. Later in 1982, he spearheaded the modern premiere of Jommelli's La schiava liberata with the Netherlands Opera. His passion for Vivaldi labeled him a renowned interpreter and led to the modern premiere of Giustino at Palladio's Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza in 1985. His works also include well-known operatic performances like Cimarosa's Gli Orazi ed i Curiazi and Handel’s Floridante.

Founding Il Complesso Barocco

In 1977, Curtis established Il Complesso Barocco, an ensemble initially founded to support research on Baroque opera and period choreography. The group later specialized in Italian madrigals from the late Baroque era, including notable operas by Handel and Vivaldi. His productions with this group included his own period-instrument orchestrations, reflecting his commitment to historically informed performances.