Unlike his contemporary Bach, Händel was a true citizen of the world, a man of the people. After spending his youth in Halle and Hamburg, he set off to cosmopolitan Italy to make his name with some dazzling opera productions. He then settled permanently in England, and the rest is history.
The young man was barely 22 when he composed the Italian oratorio "La Resurrezione." It received its premiere on Easter, April 8, 1708 in Rome under the direction of none other than Arcangelo Corelli. And although it's not as well-known as his other oratorio, which nowadays you can practically catch a production of every other week, it certainly deserves its place in concert halls.
Julien Chauvin, a French violinist and music director, is well aware of this. He founded "Le Concert de la Loge Olympique", an ensemble specializing in performances with period instruments. Last Saturday they delivered a brilliant performance of "La Resurrezione" at the Bijloke. This two-part masterpiece describes the events between—and during—Good Friday and Easter Sunday, with the plot told through recitatives, while character exploration takes place in the arias, duets, and summarizing chorales.
This large-scale work sometimes demands the utmost from the instrumentalists in the fast passages, and it starts with the opening overture. The vocal parts are also highly virtuosic, though always in service of the music. You sense this was written by a young man bursting with ambition who could pour his energy and already mature creative gift entirely into this perfectly crafted two-act work. Händel not only composed magnificent music for this piece but created five compelling characters, each with their own perspectives and storyline regarding the resurrection. There is Mary Magdalene (soprano Hasnaa Bennani), Mary of Cleopas (mezzo-soprano Éléonore Pancrazi), John the Evangelist (tenor Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro), an Angel (soprano Lila Dufy), and Lucifer (baritone Robert Gleadow). All top-notch singers, though it must be said that R. Gleadow delivered a highly charismatic performance—at moments it felt like we were watching an opera, a role that Lucifer is perfectly suited for anyway. Also extremely impressive was Atsushi Sakaï's energetic and impassioned playing on the viola da gamba. But credit where it's due: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it comes to a Le Concert de la Loge performance. One can only wonder whether the small orchestra projected enough volume to reach the back rows of the nearly sold-out concert hall.
That said, the oratorio couldn't win everyone over—halfway through the second half, I had to give my neighbor a gentle nudge after enduring ten minutes of snoring. In any case, there was a well-deserved standing ovation, which almost everyone in the audience seemed to agree with. Performances of this caliber only heighten one's curiosity about Händel's other oratorios and early works.
Couldn't make it? Want a taste of this work anyway? Be sure to listen to the video below featuring the infectious aria "Ecco il sol ch'esce dal Mare," sung by tenor Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro.
(Festival de Saint-Denis 2024)
