HÄNDEL´S SOLOMON

Nardus Williams soprano (Queen of Sheba, Solomon’s Queen, First harlot)
Helen Charlston mezzo-soprano (Solomon)
Hugo Hymas tenore (Zadok)
Florian Störtz bass-baritone (Levite)
Orchestra & Choir of the Age of Enlightenment
conductor John Butt

The oratorio Solomon is considered today one of the high points of Handel’s oeuvre, but it was rarely performed in Handel’s lifetime or for long after his death; it attracted real attention only in 1955 when the first recording was made. The libretto is based on biblical stories from the First Book of Kings and the Second Book of Chronicles, and on the writings of the ancient historian Flavius Josephus. Händel set the text, by author unknown, to music in May and June 1748, but the oratorio was not performed until March 1749 at London’s Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. The three parts of the oratorio cover the main events from the life of the wise biblical king, of which the best known is certainly Solomon’s judgment. In this as well as in other Handel oratorios, one cannot fail to notice, especially having listened to its conclusion, that it included the obligatory reflection of topical political events. Specifically, this is an allegory of the rule of King George II and a contemporary period of prosperity in Britain. However, the Solomon’s libretto differs in some respects from the others. It does not praise the successes of military campaigns, it is not a call to arms, it does not disdain the vanquished and it does not worship the victor. Rather, it aims to calm listeners following military and political skirmishes, and to praise the prevailing peace and the just ruler with it. At the Moravian Autumn, the ensemble will also perform with soloists and choir and, under the baton of Jonathan Butt, will perform Händel’s large-scale oratorio Solomon from 1748.