Ester - Cristiano Lidarti (1774)

Tickets available now!

HGO is proud to present the UK premiere of the unique oratorio ‘T’shuat Yisrael al Yedey Ester – The Salvation of Israel by Esther’ , at The Free Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb, on 13 March 2022 - just before the Jewish festival of Purim, which celebrates the biblical story of Esther. 

The libretto, in Hebrew, commissioned by the Sephardi congregation of Amsterdam from Rabbi Jacob Saraval in the 1750s, was set a few years later by the Italian composer Cristiano Lidarti (1730-1795). His charming setting was lost until the manuscript turned up in Cambridge University Library in the 1990s.

Lidarti’s galant style is clearly influenced by both Haydn and the tradition of Pergolesi. Scored for choir and baroque orchestra of strings, horns and oboes, with solo roles for Esther, Haman, Mordecai and Ahasuerus performed by HGO stars, this performance, sung in the original Hebrew, will be the first ever in England.

Free flip-book programmes including libretto (which are also printable) will be emailed to ticket purchasers before the event.

Ester -  Eleanor Pennell-Briggs  

Ahasveros - Alex Aldren 

Mordocai - Alex Gebhard

Haman - Peter Edge 

HGOAntiqua Orchestra 

Londinium Choir

Conductor: Andrew  Mitchell

HGO - North London's leading opera company

www.hgo.org.uk