On February 12, the UConn Collegium Musicum will perform a Passion oratorio (an extended musical work with soloists, chorus, and orchestra describing the suffering of Jesus at the Crucifixion) by Reinhard Keiser, a contemporary of J.S. Bach. The libretto is by Barthold Heinrich Brockes and was set by many composers, including George Frideric Handel; a Passion oratorio on Brockes’s libretto is known as a Brockes-Passion. Keiser was a well-known opera composer of the time whose music should be better known today.
This extraordinary concert will very likely be a North American premiere of the piece. It will feature professional singers and instrumentalists performing alongside UConn students and using period instruments and techniques.
The performance will take place at 3:00 pm at St. Mary’s Church, 46 Valley St., Willimantic. Admission is free. This concert is made possible by the Paul C. Richards and Gladys Richards Charitable Foundation.
For more information, contact: Eric.rice@uconn.edu at 860-486-3728