Opera Atelier announces the much anticipated finale of its 2019/20 Season with Handel's The Resurrection, on stage from April 11-19, 2020 at Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre. The Resurrection marks the Canadian premiere of Handel's first acknowledged masterpiece in a fully staged production. Opera Atelier's lavish production will feature an innovative, multi-level set by Gerard Gauci, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Elisa Citterio, Music Director) under the baton of David Fallis, and choreography by Founding Co-Artistic Director Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg C.M. performed by Artists of Atelier Ballet. The all-star Canadian cast includes Soprano Carla Huhtanen, Soprano Meghan Lindsay, Mezzo Soprano Allyson McHardy, Tenor Isaiah Bell, and Bass Stephen Hegedus.
"Handel's expansive vision for this timeless story of rebirth is widely considered one of his greatest works" says Opera Atelier Founding Co-Artistic Director Marshall Pynkoski C.M., who is also the stage director for the production. "I'm fascinated by this world in which the individual experiences spiritual ecstasy through a ravishing of the senses."
Written for Easter of 1708, Handel's 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. The 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 all of the protagonists.
This production of The Resurrection brings Handel's transcendent work to life through an inventive transformation of Koerner Hall by set designer Gauci - a major undertaking unlike anything Opera Atelier has ever presented. The multi-level set features double staircases leading from the choir loft to the floor of the concert hall, delineating the supernatural and earthly worlds. The set also features two enormous pulpits for exclusive use by the Archangel and Lucifer, mirroring the story's liturgical foundation. The staging is further enhanced by the evocative lighting design of Michelle Ramsay.
In a significant departure from Handel's original composition, the role of the Archangel - written for a castrato - will be performed by Huhtanen. Last seen in Opera Atelier's Don Giovanni, Huhtanen's renowned vocal range and razor-sharp coloratura makes her a natural for the role of the Archangel. Distinctly costumed as a female Angel, Huhtanen interacts with the Artists of Atelier Ballet as a corps of male and female angelic beings.
Hegedus will play the role of Lucifer - a superb linguist, Hegedus is renowned for his smooth delivery of Italian repertoire. Bell is ideally suited for the St. John the Evangelist role, as a commanding yet empathic young tenor. Lindsay, as Mary Magdalene, and McHardy, as Mary Cleophas, round out the cast, promising deeply sensitive and nuanced performances.
The production's choreography by Lajeunesse Zingg celebrates the original splendour of Handel's opera, and takes great advantage of Koerner Hall's expansive stage - making use of the full corps of the Artists of Atelier Ballet. As the opera progresses, the presence of the divine becomes more palpable, and the dancers, as angelic beings consequently become more integrated into the action - interacting with the physical worlds of Mary Magdalene, Cleophas and St. John, and the supernatural realm of the Archangel and Lucifer. The Resurrection represents the first time both male and female Artists of Atelier Ballet will be armed with swords. Jennifer Parr's fight choreography underlines the militant tone of the production's opening aria.
"It is a delight to perform Handel's work in Toronto's celebrated Koerner Hall." says Lajeunesse Zingg. "Handel's superb score will be well-served by the hall's renowned acoustics, as our artists explore the ecstatic sensuality of Counter-Reformation Rome."
Opera Atelier Co-Artistic Director Pynkoski has collaborated with many of the finest artists in the world of early music and his productions of opera and ballet have toured throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Toronto Arts Award, the Opera Canada Ruby Award for outstanding contribution to opera in Canada, and the TIME Magazine award for Classical music. He has been awarded the Order of Canada and most recently named Officier dans L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France.
Opera Atelier Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer Lajeunesse Zingg has choreographed and performed in major theatres internationally. She received her training in London, Copenhagen, and Paris. Lajeunesse Zingg has received a multitude of awards including the prestigious Toronto Arts Award, the Opera Canada Ruby Award for outstanding achievement in the field of opera in Canada, and was named by TIME Magazine as one of Canada's most influential artists in the field of Classical music. She has been awarded the Order of Canada for her contribution to ballet and opera in Canada, and was most recently named Officier dans L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France.
This presentation was made possible through the generous support of Production Underwriter Vivian Elizabeth Pilar.
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