Performances
Mar 20
Sat 7:00PM
Performance Run Time: 2 hours including intermission.
Opera Atelier Music Director David Fallis conducts Handel’s The Resurrection in concert. Written for Easter in 1708, The Resurrection details the events between Good Friday and Easter Sunday and the tension leading up to Christ’s resurrection following his crucifixion and burial. Featuring soloists of international acclaim, and accompanied by Chicago’s own Haymarket Opera Orchestra, this recital version of Resurrection allows audiences to experience the work as originally intended by the composer.
The role of the Archangel — written for a castrato in Handel’s original composition — will be performed by soprano Carla Huhtanen, renowned for her vocal range and razor-sharp coloratura. Baritone David Witczak will sing the role of Lucifer. A superb linguist, Witczak is praised for his impassioned delivery of Italian repertoire. Tenor Antonin Rondepierre as St. John the Evangelist, Soprano Meghan Lindsay as Mary Magdalene, and mezzo soprano Mireille Lebel as Mary Cleophas round out the cast, promising deeply sensitive and nuanced performances.
The opera’s narrative plays out simultaneously across two spheres. In the celestial realm, a militant Archangel demands entrance to Hades and disputes the claims of a boastful Lucifer, insisting Christ’s death was an act of sacrificial love. Meanwhile, on Earth, Mary Magdalene, Cleophas, and St. John the Evangelist struggle to make sense of Christ’s brutal death. Handel’s astonishingly sensual score and vivid word painting act as a catalyst for an exceptional play of emotions for the protagonists.
"Conducted by David Fallis with great flair. Composed in 1708, Handel's music for The Resurrection radiates enormous volumes of vitality and charm. Fallis and company obviously treasure every note, playing with flawless intonation and tireless animation." — Joshua Chong, Opera Canada
