"With Darkness Deep"

Constructed from excerpts of Handel's English oratorios and designed according to the principles of operatic dramaturgy, this program depicts the torments of a passionate love affair.

It traverses a whole panorama of powerful human emotions – a true emotional storm. The great musical-expressive and technical abilities of Lea Desandre, who is regarded as one of the leading mezzo-sopranos in the world, are dedicated to the service of the composer.

The challenges that this music presented in its time led to the emergence of a new category of singer – the origin of bel canto: vocal virtuosity, the use of embellishments, subtle nuances, extended ranges, and the ability to improvise in the "da capo" sections of the arias.

As the founder of the secular oratorio, Handel combines elements of the cantata, motets, classical French theater, as well as secular and sacred Italian oratorio. His extensive works in the realm of English oratorio – Samson, Saul, Theodora, Belshazzar, or Jephta – appeared to the Jupiter Ensemble as a natural continuation of their projects. The transition between instrumental and vocal pieces, which still seem remarkably timeless after centuries, is carried by an ensemble of international soloists – with the aim of paying tribute to the emotional power of an extraordinary composer.

The universal message of this "baroque West Side Story" does justice to the festival theme and touches all generations.