Soprano Hannah De Priest on Handel’s La Resurrezione

This past June (2024), I was honored to perform as Mary Magdalene in Haymarket Opera’s concert of Handel’s La Resurrezione, conducted by Maestro Christian Curnyn. It was, in fact, the largest Handel role I’ve sung to date. Composed when Handel was in his early twenties, living in Italy, La Res is unmistakably the work of a young genius experimenting with orchestration, chromaticism, dramatic pacing, and more. Mary Magdalene’s grief at the loss of Jesus is vivified by a series of wrenching, wild recitatives and arias that reveal both her human fragility and rare, bold faith in God. 

If you attended our performance, you’ll remember the beautiful projections designed by Camilla Tassi that helped articulate the unusual structure of the piece, which veers between a supernatural meeting of Angel and Devil and the raw grief of Jesus’s closest disciples in the immediate aftermath of His murder. 

Over the course of the oratorio, Mary Magdalene moves from heartbreak to ecstatic revelation, after Jesus finally appears to her. My favorite moment of the entire work is Mary’s final recitative, when she describes recognizing the pure, intense light radiating from His face and His crucifixion wounds, sparkling like stars. Every time I sang it, I felt a kind of second-hand euphoria; a welcome vestige of what such an experience of divinity might feel like. 

The role of Mary Magdalene marked my second time working with the phenomenal Haymarket team. It was an honor to share the stage with a dreamy cast and to sing under the generous leadership of Maestro Curnyn. Long before rehearsals started, though, I was preparing on my own: wrapping my mind around the familiar, but unusually told story, the thorny recitatives, and trialing an array of ornaments, some of which, it turns out, were wildly ill-conceived :) Thankfully, I was able to do some advance coaching with two fantastic harpsichordists: Jory Vinkour and Avi Stein, whose advice on recitatives and ornaments still rings in my ears. 

Beyond getting all the right pitches and rhythms locked in my body, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to use vocal color to embody all the emotions Mary Magdalene experiences during La Res. Even compared to some of Handel’s best-loved and most dramatic heroines, (Cleopatra, Alcina), the way Mary sings about love, faith, and loss are singularly touching and almost blushingly sensual. My “touchy-feely” preparation ultimately served me well, and I was gratified to receive this mention in John von Rhein’s review: 

“It was hard to imagine anyone delivering a more deeply affecting account of her taxing role than what De Priest offered on this occasion. Her bright, ideally focused sound, allied to a probing expressive intelligence, served Mary’s sorrowful outpourings as beautifully as it illuminated her ‘sleep’ aria later on…” 

When I wasn’t singing, I was basking in the rich, varied textures and cohesive sound of the Haymarket Orchestra, and the superlative talents of castmates including golden-voiced Scott Brunscheen [John the Evangelist] and soprano Sarah Brailey’s dazzling coloratura as the Angel. It was likewise an honor to share the stage with concertmaster Rachel Barton Pine, whose playing is always wondrous, elegant, and engaging. Even within a short rehearsal period, I felt an easy connection with Maestro Curnyn, whose affability and enthusiasm never waned. 

I remember feeling triumphant after the final chorus of La Resurrezione, rushing out to the lobby of DePaul University’s Gannon Concert Hall to greet the audience members who have become so dear to me as I’ve worked more and more in this city I call home. The atmosphere that evening was so special. I think everyone in the hall (onstage and in the audience) recognized that we’d shared a rare experience together: hearing an infrequently performed work played well to a sold-out hall, accompanied by splendid visual projections. Certainly it will linger in my mind for many years as a personal artistic acme. 

Haymarket Opera recently announced its 2025 season and it is set to be yet another highwater mark for this intrepid company. Its growing success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Chase Hopkins and Craig Trompeter, whose leadership is marked by trust, good humor, kindness, and a sincere love of beautiful music and theater. It is heartening to see the Chicago audience for Baroque opera and oratorio widen annually and it is a huge privilege and pleasure to take part in their ambitious projects. I hope to see you at an upcoming performance!

Learn more about Haymarket’s 2024 performance of Handel’s La Resurrezione.

About the author

Hailed as a “natural Handelian” with “gleaming tone” (Chicago Classical Review) lyric soprano Hannah De Priest's recent credits include her Kennedy Center debut with Opera Lafayette singing Serpina in La servante maîtresse, European debut at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival singing Gilde in L’amazzone corsara, and several productions with the Boston Early Music Festival. In fall 2024, Hannah will record her debut solo album of French and Italian Baroque music with ensemble Les Délices. Next summer De Priest returns to the Boston Early Music Festival for multiple engagements and an album recording. De Priest has garnered attention at numerous important competitions, including 2nd Prize at the 2021 International Cesti Competition for Baroque Singing and as a finalist in the 2024 London Handel Competition.

About The Haymarket Review: This new digital publication including thoughts about  the work produced by Haymarket is designed to deepen our connection to audiences, nurture and feed audience curiosity about historical performance, offer critical opinions and thoughtful reflections on our performances, and provide a forum for Haymarket and its audience to connect through sharing insights, opinions, learning, and expertise.