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What is your favourite of Handel's Oratorios (excluding "Messiah")?

Handel's Other Oratorios

17K views 56 replies 33 participants last post by  Kreisler jr 
#1 · (Edited)
The perpetual fame of the Messiah seems to have overshadowed many of the other great oratorios that Handel left behind. Many concert venues insist of performing this trusty warhorse year in year out, much to the tragic neglect of Solomon, Israel in Egypt and countless others. So I thought a thread would be in order to rectify this deficiency...

Feel free to discuss the relative merits of Handel's other oratorios, recommend recordings, and post clips/highlights.

I will also add a poll where you can vote for your favourites. (Messiah is of course disqualified). Vote for 2 or 3 if you like.
 
#4 ·
When I was starting out with Handel's oratorios, I found these two box sets immensely helpful:

John Eliot Gardiner doing Israel in Egypt, Jephtha, Saul and Solomon.
Musical instrument World Hat Organism Font


and Christopher Hogwood doing Messiah, Athalia, Esther and Resurrezione.
Poster Font Hat Publication Music


Solomon is probably my favourite as it contains many joyous and jubilant choruses, e.g. "From the Censer" which kicks off Act 2:
 
#5 ·
When I was starting out with Handel's oratorios, I found these two box sets immensely helpful:

John Eliot Gardiner doing Israel in Egypt, Jephtha, Saul and Solomon.
View attachment 43832

and Christopher Hogwood doing Messiah, Athalia, Esther and Resurrezione.
View attachment 43833

Solomon is probably my favourite as it contains many joyous and jubilant choruses, e.g. "From the Censer" which kicks off Act 2:
"From the Censer" could have been the inspiration for Moderation of Internet Forums 250 years later!!!

All fine sets, by the way!!
 
G
#6 ·
At some point in the past, I have listened to Saul, Solomon, and Theodora. I can't say that any of them left any lasting impressions on me, although I should give them another listen. Can't vote here.

But I will plug another composer whose name begins with Ha, who also wrote some nice oratorios:
Haydn - The Creation, The Seasons
 
#10 ·
I voted other for this wonderful work and in particular this recording, which I think is the only existing recording of this oratorio:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000069CUU/

This Old Testament oratorio is about Nabal (whose name means fool), a wealthy mean-spirited fellow who spurns David during David's exile from the court of Saul. David plans to have revenge upon Nabal, but Nabal's wife, Abigail, pledges loyalty to the future king, so David relents. When Nabal hears about it he drops dead, leaving Abigail free to become one of David's wives, which she is more than happy to be.
 
#12 ·
I voted all of them, they are masterpieces of the 18th century. Solomon, Theodora are good starting points. :)
 
#16 ·
Beyond Messiah, I am not very fond of oratorio since opera is so much better to me. Some oratorios were made because the Pope would not allow opera (see quote below), and so composers got around it with oratorios. I'd rather have them as operas.

According to this article,
... the first decade of the 18th century, when Pope Clement XI, alarmed by growing political conflicts that threatened the authority of the church, banned operatic performances in Rome, deeming musical theater dangerously arousing and incendiary. Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti and Antonio Caldara, among others, simply turned to the oratorio...
 
#17 ·
Many of them were dramatic oratorios taking Biblical dramatic scenes from the Old Testament. But I get what you are saying. I prefer Operas too.
 
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#23 ·
It's been a long time I haven't listened to Handel Oratorios but they are my favourite vocal works of Handel, even over his operas. My vote was for Israel in Egypt but I also love Samson and Solomon. If I must specify other oratorios, I would say Joseph and his Brethren (HWV 59) and Alexander Balus (HWV 65). Regarding recordings, my favourite performers are The King's Consort and Robert King, McCreesh and The Sixteen. Some of the recordings I own:

Solomon - McCreesh


Israel in Egypt - Parrott


Alexander Balus - King


Theodora - McCreesh


Samson - The Sixteen


I will be listening them again this weekend.
 
#24 ·
^Those look like and are wonderful recordings. I have listened to the McCreesh ones above. :)
 
#25 · (Edited)
For me, the choice would be between Samson, Saul, and Israel in Egypt. I like Solomon, La Resurrezione, and Theodora too. But since Samson has one of Handel's most inspired creations--"Awake the trumpets lofty sound", I'm going to choose Samson (although there may be other Handel oratorios that are more consistent overall). The recording that I enjoy is Nicholas McGegan's on Carus:

https://www.amazon.com/Handel-G-F-S...2092193&sr=8-1&keywords=samson+handel+mcgegan

Otherwise, my favorite conductors in Handel's oratorios are Paul McCreesh (Messiah, Solomon, Saul, Theodora), Rene Jacobs (Saul), John Eliot Gardiner (Israel in Egypt, Solomon, The Ways of Zion do mourn, Alexander's Feast), Marc Minkowski (La Resurrezione, & Teseo--but that's an opera), Christopher Hogwood (La Resurrezione, Messiah, Athalia), Andrew Parrott (Israel in Egypt), and Trevor Pinnock (Belshazzar).

Due to this thread, I now realize I don't know Jephtha--so I'll have to remedy that. I've also not heard Esther, Semele, Hercules, Acis and Galatea, and Judas Maccabaeus. It's amazing that after all these years of listening to Handel, there's still so much music I've yet to get to!!
 
#26 ·
Judas Maccabeus for me.
 
#27 ·
That's a very fine one, the overture/symphony is almost Romantic like.
 
#29 ·
Israel in Egypt is very different from most of the other Handel oratorios in that it is highly choral (Part II, which we often perform as Part I has ONE aria), which actually didn't go over well at the time and the next time that he performed it, he interpolated arias from his various other works to satisfy the audience's desire for florid solo writing. That being said, the depictions of the plagues are some of the most vivid word painting you'll ever hear from both the chorus and orchestra, especially the "fliessss and liccccce in all their quartersssss" with the itchily buzzing violins underneath.

My personal favorite of his, though, is Samson. A dramatic story, a cast of fairly interesting characters (for Baroque standards, at least) and both bravura and very tender writing for all parts. There aren't many recordings of the complete work, but Harry Christophers not only does the whole thing, but his cast is excellent, especially Lynda Russell, Lynne Dawson, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, and Mark Padmore.

I've actually had the good fortune to perform both of these pieces with Harry Christophers in Boston, as well as a few Messiahs, and will never forget any of them!
 
#34 · (Edited)
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