On Tuesday, December 17, at Manhattan’s Church of the Holy Trinity, the Dalton Chorale, under the direction of David Shuler, presents Missa Omnium Sanctorum, a major choral work by 18th-century Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. A chamber orchestra will accompany the chorale, and the soloists will be Sarah Hawkey, soprano; Elizabeth Merrill, mezzo-soprano; David Root, tenor; and Dominic Inferrera, baritone.

The compositions of the long-forgotten Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka approach or equal those of his contemporaries Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Telemann in their advanced use of counterpoint, their extreme demands on the players and singers, their ingenuity and resourcefulness, and their overall beauty. Zelenka’s Missa Omnium Sanctorum is his final mass and one of his most uplifting, characterized by everything that typifies Zelenka: cleverly constructed fugal choruses, dramatic harmonies that accentuate key moments in the texts, and an unfailing feel for overall musical architecture.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. This program is also made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. LMCC.net