Rossi : Oratorio pour la Semaine Sainte

HOLY WEEKLuigi Rossi (1597-1653) Oratorio per la Settimana Santa At the crossroads of musical theatre and spiritual meditation, William Christie invites us to rediscover one of the foundational milestones of

HOLY WEEKLuigi Rossi (1597-1653)

Oratorio per la Settimana Santa

At the crossroads of musical theatre and spiritual meditation, William Christie invites us to rediscover one of the foundational milestones of Italian oratorio: Luigi Rossi's too rarely performed Oratorio per la Settimana Santa, which will be preceded here by an equally little-known oratorio by Perti…

Composed around the mid-17th century, the Oratorio per la Settimana Santa illustrates the profound aesthetic transformation of the nascent Baroque, at the intersection of musical theatre and spiritual meditation: primacy of text, expressive intensity, dramatisation of affects, and harmonic refinement. Intended for Holy Week, it does not fall under strict liturgy, but rather a space of musical contemplation where biblical narration becomes human introspection. Rossi deploys a highly modern style of writing, with the voice as a vector of direct emotion, foreshadowing the future developments of opera. It is in this balance between spiritual fervour and dramatic intensity that the work's strength lies, touching all sensibilities across cultures and eras through its universal themes – suffering, hope, compassion, and redemption. Despite its historical and artistic importance, the Oratorio per la Settimana Santa remains very rarely performed today. This new concert production by Les Arts Florissants therefore offers a precious opportunity to discover this musical heritage, of which William Christie and Les Arts Florissants are among the greatest contemporary interpreters.