Zelenka: I penitenti al sepolchro del redentore, ZWV 63

Featuring

Václav Luks
Mariana Rewerski
Eric Stoklossa
Tobias Berndt
Collegium 1704
Collegium Vocale 1704

Jan Dismas Zelenka

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Composer's Artistic Vision

A typical element of Zelenka's musical language is his desire to push the limits of what is 'possible' and his taste for experimentation.

Composition History

Zelenka's oratorio, I Penitenti al Sepolchro del Redentore, was first performed on Good Friday, March 30, 1736.

Composer Biography

Jan Dismas Zelenka, the composer, was a double bass player in the Dresden court orchestra when Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria arrived.

Compositional Technique

The score of I Penitenti al Sepolchro del Redentore is highly virtuosic, featuring elements like lengthy legato passages, successive staccatos, and detailed dynamics, previously heard mainly in solo repertoire.

Historical Context

The arrival of Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria in Dresden brought the spirit of southern European Catholic culture, rooted in Italian tradition, to the Saxon capital.

Composition History

The libretto for I Penitenti al Sepolchro del Redentore, by Stefano Benedetto Pallavicini, features an imaginary meeting between King David, Mary Magdalene, and St Peter, rather than a direct biblical story.