Although Jan Dismas Zelenka was active at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden, where Italian opera was cultivated in a representative manner, he never had the opportunity to compose an opera. In the Passion oratorio Gesù al Calvario, Zelenka demonstrates, more than in any other of his works, his ability to create a dramatic arc and depict the psychological profile of the characters through musical means. programme J. D. Zelenka — Gesu al Calvario ZWV 62 performers Benno Schachtner (Gesu) countertenor Roberta Mameli (Maria Vergine) soprano Deborah Cachet (Maddalena) soprano Margherita Maria Sala (Maria Cleofe) alto Yuriy Mynenko (San Giovanni) countertenor Václav Luks conductor Collegium 1704 Collegium Vocale 1704