La Resurrezione

In the Christian faith, Easter Monday marks the first day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many musicians have drawn inspiration from this episode, in particular throughout the baroque period. This liturgical context gave rise to the oratorio form, which drew heavily on the emotional power of opera. Handel composed over thirty oratorios. Although his “greatest hit” in this genre is still The Messiah, we should not underestimate his other works, including this Resurrection dating from 1708 when Handel left Germany and travelled to Rome to explore the art of Italian music at close quarters. The work was commissioned for a performance in the Palazzo Bonelli in April 1708, thus circumventing the ban on staging opera in private residences. In the manner of an opera, “Il caro Sassone”, as he was dubbed by the Romans, blends narrative accompanied by pared back basso continuo with dazzling arias to express the mysteries of Christ’s Passion. Julien Chauvin has assembled a fine cast for this performance.

Jeanine Roze Production