Rossi : Oratorio pour la Semaine Sainte

HOLY WEEKLuigi Rossi (1597-1653)Oratorio for Holy WeekAt the crossroads of musical theatre and spiritual meditation, William Christie invites audiences to rediscover one of the foundational milestones of the Italian oratorio: the all too rarely performed Oratorio per la Settimana Santa by Luigi Rossi, which will here be preceded by an equally little-known oratorio by Perti …Composed around the middle of the 17th century, the Oratorio per la Settimana Santa illustrates the profound aesthetic change of the emerging Baroque, at the crossroads of musical theatre and spiritual meditation: primacy of the text, expressive intensity, dramatisation of the affects and harmonic refinement.

Intended for Holy Week, it is not part of the strict liturgy, but belongs to a space of musical contemplation in which the biblical narrative becomes human introspection.

Rossi deploys a writing of great modernity, with the voice as a vehicle of direct emotion, foreshadowing the future developments of opera.

It is in this balance between spiritual fervour and dramatic intensity that the strength of the work lies, which, through its universal themes – suffering, hope, compassion and redemption – reaches every sensibility, beyond cultures and eras.

Despite its historical and artistic importance, the Oratorio per la Settimana Santa remains today very rarely performed.

This new concert production by Les Arts Florissants therefore offers a valuable opportunity to discover this musical heritage, of which William Christie and Les Arts Florissants are among the greatest interpreters today.