The English Concert
Handel’s Hercules
Harry Bicket, conductor
William Guanbo Su, bass (Hercules)*
Hilary Cronin, soprano (Iole)*
Alexander Chance, countertenor (Lichas)*
The Clarion Choir; Steven Fox, artistic director
“Annual visits from the English Concert to Cal Performances have become must-see, must-hear, must-experience events.”
–Seen and Heard International
Britain’s extraordinary early-music ensemble visits with another exquisite concert performance of a Handel masterwork in what has become an eagerly anticipated highlight of each Cal Performances season.
Hercules is a fine showcase for the richly expressive mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg, who sings the demanding role of the hero’s wife Dejanira, evolving from impatience to rage to despair as her jealousy leads her to murder and madness. The musical drama, with a libretto in English, also features some of Handel’s most gorgeous choral writing, showcasing the crystalline voices of New York City’s Clarion Choir.
“A certain magic occurs when Bicket gives the down beat: the players unleash gleaming rays of sound” (The New York Times).
This performance is made possible in part by The Lynne LaMarca Heinrich and Dwight M. Jaffee Fund, The Estate of Ross E. Armstrong, and an anonymous donor.
* Cal Performances debut
The Program Book will be available approximately one week before the performance.
The English Concert
Handel’s Hercules
Harry Bicket, conductor
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The English Concert
Handel’s Hercules
Harry Bicket, conductor
* There is a $15 per order service charge on ticket purchases made by phone or online that are not part of a subscription package, and a $20 service charge on all subscription orders. There is no fee for tickets purchased in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office unless they are part of a subscription. This fee helps to underwrite the cost of providing services online and by phone, as well as programs needed for digital order delivery.
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Now: UCB Students (CalNet authentication required)
Aug 5: General Public –>