Handel’s La resurrezione (The Resurrection) has an interesting history. It was written by the 22-year-old Handel in Rome during Lent in 1708 and performed in rather sumptuous style at the Palazzo Ruspoli on Easter Sunday. It used a large orchestra for the time and the soprano role of Mary Magdalene was sung by a woman to the considerable annoyance of the pope who insisted that future performances replace her with a castrato.
The storyline concerns the events from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection with a large supernatural element involving a power struggle between Lucifer and an Angel. Much of the narrative concerns the grief and mourning of the female disciples Mary Magdalene and Mary Cleophas, with the Evangelist John thrown in for good measure. It ends with the three disciples celebrating the risen Christ and the crestfallen Lucifer realising that God is not dead and that he, therefore, isn’t Lord of the Universe.
Opera Atelier’s production, directed by Marshall Pynkowski, which opened last night at Koerner Hall, is firmly rooted in the iconography and aesthetics of Counter Reformation Baroque while retaining many of the traditional Opera Atelier trademarks, particularly ballet rooted in French Court tradition. This is very effectively deployed at the beginning of the piece where The Angel, sung by Carla Huhtanen, leads her band of sword-wielding, dancing angels in storming the gates of Hell.
The set design is exceptional. Koerner Hall has no scenery handling equipment so a unitary set serves. It involves two staircases in a V shape ascending from the stage to connect with the two levels of gallery seating behind the stage. It’s heavily gilded, as is the sepulchre below the staircase where we first see the body of Christ before the resurrection. After, it’s filled with a mass of lilies.
There’s some fine singing and acting. Pride of place perhaps goes to Meghan Lindsay as Mary Magdalene. She is singing beautifully these days and last night was no exception. Her full, resonant soprano filled the hall. Her acting too was exceptionally moving. The other two ladies contrasted really nicely. Huhtanen’s light, bright soprano coupled with some real attitude in her acting led in one direction; mezzo Allyson McHardy’s (as Mary Cleophas) very dark tones were at the other end of the spectrum. She made a splendid companion for the Magdalene, every bit as moving in her grief. The several duets between the Marys were among the evening’s highlights.
The men were fine too. Colin Ainsworth’s high, brilliant tenor was perfect for the Evangelist and he managed to play his part without stealing the scene from the Marys. Douglas Williams’ sinewy and resonant bass was just right for Lucifer. Strange as it may seem, in a sense Lucifer is the comic relief in La resurrezione and Williams did bring out the absurdity of his character’s pretensions without hamming it up.
The orchestra was provided by 26 members of Tafelmusik with David Fallis conducting. It’s often said that the young Handel, on being given such a large orchestra to work with for the first time, went over the top. I didn’t find that at all. It’s fine orchestral music for a young composer and clearly Handel but it’s not as exuberant as, say, the writing for the winds in Alcina. An effective subtle touch was to use a slightly different instrumental group for the Magdalene’s recitatives than that used for the others. Despite singers sometimes singing from the upper balconies and even one of the boxes, pit/stage coordination was spot on.
This production was in rehearsal when Covid pulled the plug on Toronto’s theatres for two long years. It’s most satisfying to see it at last “resurrected” in such fine style.
