Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti’s oratorio tells the biblical story of how Queen Esther rescued the Jews of Persia from King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and his scheming advisor, Haman. Scored for orchestra, soloists, and chamber choir, and sung entirely in Hebrew, Lidarti’s captivating writing brings the story of Esther alive. Lovers of baroque music may recognize the libretto from Handel’s 1718 Esther- the text for Lidarti’s oratorio is a direct translation into Hebrew completed by one of Lidarti’s contemporaries, Venetian Rabbi Jacob Raphael ben Simhah Judah Saraval.

Lidarti’s Esther was re-discovered by the musicologist Israel Adler in 1999 in the Ets Hayim library of Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue and has only been performed several times worldwide. MIRYAM will present the Boston and East Coast premiere on Saturday, March 2nd at Emmanuel Church in Boston and Sunday, March 3rd at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. Critically-acclaimed harpsichordist and conductor Dylan Sauerwald will direct an ensemble of 5 soloists, 9 choristers, and 16 instrumentalists.

This oratorio is a testament to the resiliency of the Jewish community that commissioned it; the “Portuguese Jews of Amsterdam” were the survivors of persecution and forced conversions in Spain and Portugal, who eventually fled to Amsterdam and rebuilt their lives over two hundred years. They established a stunning synagogue, which survives to this day, and which became a center of Jewish worship, culture, and scholarship. The Jewish Community of Amsterdam was eventually able to  commission a musical work celebrating their own recent history by re-telling the story of Esther: a Jewish woman who lived in exile, and who was forced to hide her Jewish faith from the powerful people around her. Esther ultimately drew on that faith, finding the strength and courage to reveal herself as a Jew to the King of Persia, and in doing so, protecting herself and her community from genocide. 

We’re assembling a team of five soloists, a nine-person chamber chorus, and a sixteen-piece orchestra and we’re asking for your help to make this rare performance possible. We need to raise a total of $16,000, including grants and in-kind donations, and our goal is to raise $10,000 during this campaign. Your tax-deductible gifts help us compensate the musicians and cover our production costs, which include venue fees, instrument cartage, and publicity.

We need your help in order to bring Lidarti's Esther to Boston. This is a rare opportunity to hear a full-length baroque oratorio sung entirely in Hebrew! Boston is an ideal city for the New England premiere of Esther- we have world-class musicians, devoted classical music lovers, a vibrant Jewish community, and a beautiful tradition of interfaith collaboration. 

MIRYAM was founded in 2016 by Alicia DePaolo and Ari Nieh in order to bring Jewish early music to New England audiences. Our ensemble members are all accomplished performers and scholars of renaissance and baroque music who have a passion for connecting with audiences. In every space we enter, we set the intention of celebrating the beauty and richness of intersecting identities and musical languages. Many of our programs bring well-loved composers like Monteverdi and Schütz into Jewish spaces and other houses of faith, celebrating the Jewish roots in their compositions and opening a fruitful inter-religious dialogue. Other programs highlight Jewish composers, such as Salamone Rossi, or feature music from a specific Jewish community, such as Amsterdam's Jewish Community. 

You can find more information about MIRYAM on our website: miryamensemble.org