In the late seventeenth century, the imperial court of Vienna developed a distinctly theatrical and opulent way to celebrate Holy Week. Churches across the city featured elaborate replicas of the Holy Sepulchre, which served as atmospheric settings for semi-staged performances of sepolcri, a uniquely Viennese form of oratorio. For the celebrations of 1661, Antonio Bertali created Il Pentimento—a powerful meditation on repentance and grace. The work unfolds through poignant dialogues between allegorical figures, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary, set against a dark-hued palette of viols, cornettos, and continuo.

Program

Leopold I., Holy Roman Emperor

Stabat mater

Antonio Bertali

Il Pentimento

Performers

Elijah McCormack and Elizabeth Tait soprano
Michael Skarke alto
Micah Perry and Matthew Newhouse tenor
Peter Schoellkopff bass

Doron Sherwin and Kiri Tollaksen cornetto
Henry vanEngen sackbut

Manami Mizumoto and Rebecca Nelson violin and viola
Adam Young, Gretchen Claassen, and Sydney ZumMallen viola da gamba
John Stajduhar violone

Daniel Swenberg and Brandon Acker lutes
Bryan Anderson organ

Mario Aschauer artistic director