BETWEEN ORATORIO AND MASQUE

The music of Esther was long considered the first English oratorio. In reality this work is a vibrant hybrid that contains elements of oratorio, masque, pastoral singing and opera. Recent studies have led to the reconstruction of the first performance of the piece, which took place in 1720, and it is this version that we treat listeners to.

Georg Friedrich Händel Esther, masque per soli, coro e orchestra HWV 50a

Valerio Zanolli, bass

Raffaele Giordani, tenor

Thilo Dahlmann, bass

Robert King, conductor

Carmela Konrad, soprano

David Allsopp, contraltista

Markus Schäfer, tenor

Heidi Maria Taubert, soprano

Pietro Mussino, choirmaster

Coro e Orchestra dell’Accademia del Santo Spirito

The concert will be preceded by a brief introduction courtesy of Gaia Varon