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La Resurrezione, composed by Handel in his mid-twenties, and first performed on Easter Sunday in 1708, marked the climax of Handel’s time in Rome. The premiere featured none other than Handel directing from the harpsichord and Corelli leading the orchestra from the violin!

This oratorio details the events between and during Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In La Resurrezione, we can already see Handel’s mastery of musical technique in the arias and ensembles as he gives dramatic colour to the different characters in the story.

This recording by The English Concert features Lucy Crowe (Angel), Sophie Bevan (Mary Magdalene), Iestyn Davies (Mary Cleophas), Hugo Hymas (John the Evangelist), and Ashley Riches (Lucifer), conducted by Harry Bicket.

The Times:

…’the orchestra’s lively precision, rhythmic bounce and variegated colours: ideal tools for proper display of the endless imaginative subtleties woven into the instrumental score. As for the vocal forces […]  I couldn’t detect a weak link’. 

Find out more about La Resurrezione and buy a copy on The English Concert's website.