A young Handel travelled to Italy, immersing himself in a musical world shaped by composers such as Caldara and Lotti.

Antonio Caldara Introduzione from L’olimpiade
Antonio Lotti Missa Sancti Christophori
George Frideric Handel Dixit Dominus HWV 232

John Butt director & harpsichord
Hilary Cronin soprano
Helen Charlston mezzo-soprano
Dunedin Consort side by side with students from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 

A young Handel travelled to Italy, immersing himself in a musical world shaped by composers such as Caldara and Lotti. There he absorbed a rich and expressive style marked by clarity, balance and vitality – qualities that would continue shape his own musical language. 

Lotti’s Missa Sancti Christophori, later compiled by his student Jan Dismas Zelenka, represents Italian sacred polyphony at its finest, combining expressive depth with structural refinement, especially in the breathtaking Crucifixus. Meanwhile, Handel’s Dixit Dominus transforms these Italian roots into a work of choral brilliance and rhythmic energy, where voices and instruments combine with striking power. 

Pre-concert talk with John Butt at 6.30pm

Tickets: £6 – £42 

• Included in Edinburgh subscription season, save up to 20% when buying 2+ concerts at the same time – book online at www.thequeenshall.net, in person at The Queen’s Hall box office, or call 0131 668 2019