PBO to Honor Handel with SESSIONS and Concert

The London King’s Theatre Haymarket, where Handel’s Saul was first performed (illustration by William Capon, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Next month will begin with both the final Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) concert of the season and the second of the two PBO SESSIONS events taking place in San Francisco. Both of these events have been organized around the music of George Frideric Handel. The season will conclude with a performance of the HWV 53 oratorio Saul, structured in three acts around a libretto by Charles Jennens (best known for preparing the libretto for the HWV 56 oratorio Messiah). The title of the PBO SESSIONS event will be Handel’s Biblical Heroes & Villains; and it will feature a selection of arias from Handel’s Biblical oratorios sung by four of the leading soloists performing HWV 53.

The oratorio performance will feature the PBO debut of countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen in the role of David. Cohen is currently a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow. He is also the recipient of the 2019 Jeffrey Thomas Award presented by American Bach Soloists, with which he was featured during that ensemble’s New Year’s Eve concert at the end of this past December. In addition, he will be making his debut with San Francisco Ballet tonight in the world premiere performance of Yuri Possokhov’s “…two united in a single soul…,” a ballet based on the myth of Narcissus.

Cohen will also perform at the PBO SESSIONS event. He will be joined by baritone Daniel Okulitch, who will be singing the title role in HWV 53, tenor Aaron Sheehan, who will sing the role of Jonathan, and soprano Yulia Van Doren, singing the role of Merab. The PBO SESSIONS program will also include a dialogue between Music Director Nicholas McGegan and Francesco Spagnolo, a scholar that specializes in the role of Jews in music history. Sources for the arias that will be sung will include HWV 53, as well as Esther (HWV 50) and Alexander Balus (HWV 65).

The PBO SESSIONS event will begin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. This will mark the return of PBO to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, located at 736 Mission Street, opposite Yerba Buena Gardens and along Yerba Buena Lane, which connects Mission Street to Market Street. Seating will be general admission, and all tickets will be $25. Complimentary wine will be served at the end of the evening. A City Box Office event page has been created for online purchase. Those who wish further information may call 415-392-4400.

The San Francisco performance of HWV 53 will take place on Friday, April 12, beginning at 7 p.m. (Note that this is an earlier start time than usual, owing to the length of the concert.) The venue will be Herbst Theatre, which is located at 401 Van Ness Avenue on the southwest corner of McAllister Street. Ticket prices will range from $32 to $125 for premium seating. Tickets are also available for advance purchase through a City Box Office event page, which displays a color-coded seating plan that shows which areas correspond to which price levels.