The Bach Collegium San Diego celebrates the Easter season with George Frideric Handel’s dramatic oratorio “The Resurrection,” with three performances next weekend in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Composed in Rome in 1708, the “La Resurrezione” as it was originally titled in Italian, retells the events between Good Friday and Easter. It was was first performed on Easter Sunday 1708 in Rome.
“La Resurrezione is a fascinating and compelling example of Handel’s mastery of the art of musical storytelling,” said Ruben Valenzuela, music director of the Bach Collegium. “Although this work is rarely performed, ‘La Resurrezione’ is a gem in the catalogue. The characters are vibrant and brimming with humanity. Handel was 23 years old when he composed ‘La Resurrezione,’ and you can hear that he is exploring a musical language that informs his later work.”
Performances April 17-19 are scheduled at the following times:
- Friday, 7 p.m. — St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla
- Saturday, 4 p.m. — St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Los Angeles
- Sunday, 5 p.m. — First Presbyterian Church in downtown San Diego
The San Diego-area concerts will be preceded by roundtable discussions with selected performers.
Tickets are $35 and $50 for general admission, $30 for seniors and $10 for students. They can be purchased online at BachCollegiumSD.org.
Bach Collegium San Diego was founded in 2003 to diversify the music offerings in the San Diego community by providing historically informed performances of repertoire from the Renaissance, Baroque and early Classical eras.
