Program
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Augelletti, ruscelletti, aria of Mary Cleophas from the oratorio La Resurrezione, HWV 47 (1708)
Zadok the Priest, Coronation Anthem No. 1, HWV 258 (1727)
E pur così in un giorno – Piangerò la sorte mia, recitative and aria of Cleopatra from the opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 (1724)
Welcome as the Dawn of Day, duet from the oratorio Solomon, HWV 67 (1749)
Disserratevi, o porte d’Averno, aria of the Angel from the oratorio The Resurrection (La Resurrezione), HWV 47 (1708)
Ah! Crudel nel pianto mio, aria of Armida from the opera Rinaldo, HWV 78 (1711)
Overture to the opera Agrippina, HWV 6 (1709–1710)
Sarabande from the Partita in G major for solo harpsichord, HWV 450 (1700–1705)
De torrente in via bibet, duet with chorus from the psalm Dixit Dominus, HWV 232 (1707)
Oh, Let the Merry Bells Ring Round, aria with chorus from the oratorio L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 (1740)
Piangete sì, piangete, aria of Mary Cleophas from the oratorio La Resurrezione, HWV 47 (1708)
As With Rosy Steps the Morn, recitative and aria of Irene from the oratorio Theodora, HWV 68 (1750)
Alla Hornpipe, No. 2 from Water Music Suite No. 2 in D major, HWV 349 (1716–1717)
Pena tiranna, aria of Dardano from the opera Amadigi di Gaula, HWV 11 (1715)
Amarti sì vorrei, aria of Agilea from the opera Teseo, HWV 9 (1713)
Fermati! / No, crudel!, duet of Armida and Rinaldo from the opera Rinaldo, HWV 78 (1711)
He Saw the Lovely Youth, chorus from the oratorio Theodora, HWV 68 (1750)
Ah! Stigie larve — Vaghe pupille, recitative and aria of Orlando from the opera Orlando, HWV 31 (1733)
Oh Love Divine, Thou Source of Fame, chorus from the oratorio Theodora, HWV 68 (1750)
Performers:
musicAeterna orchestra and choir
musicAeterna Dance company
artists from the Anton Rubinstein Academy
Conductor – Teodor Currentzis
Details
Opening the 2025 Diaghilev Festival on June 13, Hændel is a theatrical and musical dedication to the great composer on the 340th anniversary of his birth. Performed by the festival’s headliners — the musicAeterna orchestra and choir under the direction of Teodor Currentzis — the concert presents a pasticcio: a collage of arias, ensembles, orchestral and choral scenes from Handel’s operas and oratorios.
A pasticcio (Italian for “pie” or “mash-up”) was a popular 18th-century stage practice — an artfully crafted mix of musical pieces, often from different works, assembled into a new dramatic whole. In Hændel, this form brings together excerpts from Handel’s powerful Old Testament oratorios, dramatic arias from his Italian operas (Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Orlando, Teseo), and dazzling instrumental pieces.
All music will be performed on period instruments and in historical baroque tuning by musicAeterna artists, known for their thoughtful and detailed work with historically informed performance and their pursuit of authentic sound. The semi-staged format and collage-like nature of the production follow the spirit of baroque spectacle — full of illusion, shifting perspectives, scale play, and a deep focus on the voice and space.