BELSHAZZAR (HWV 61)
Oratorio in 3 acts
Composer: Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Libretto: Charles Jennens (1700-1773)
First performance: King's Theatre, London (27 March 1745)
Nitocris: Jeanine De Bique
Cyrus: Mary-Ellen Nesi
Daniel: Raffaele Pe
Belshazzar: Juan Sancho
Gobrias: Stephan MacLeod
Conductor: Václav Luks
Concerto Köln
NDR Vokalensemble
Recorded live at the St.-Johanniskirche, Göttingen (14 May 2022)
Libretto available at: opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti...
Picture: "Belshazzar's Feast" by John Martin (c. 1821).
This recording has been generously provided by the owner of the classicalmusicinconcert blog.
ACT I
00:00 Overture
03:49 "Vain, fluctuating state of human empire!" (Accompagnato of Nitocris)
08:23 "Thou, God most high, and Thou alone" (Air of Nitocris)
12:36 "Behold, by Persia's hero mad" (Chorus of Babylonians)
14:51 "Well may they laugh, from meagre famine safe" (Recitative)
15:39 "Oh, memory!" (Accompagnato of Gobrias)
16:37 "Oppress'd with never-ceasing grief" (Air of Gobrias)
19:08 "Dry those unavailing tears" (Air of Cyrus)
21:10 "Be comforted: safe though the tyrant seem" (Recitative)
21:40 "Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates" (Accompagnato of Cyrus)
23:50 "Now tell me, Gobrias, does not this Euphrates" (Recitative)
25:15 "Behold the monstrous human beast" (Air of Gobrias)
28:18 "Can you then think it strange, if drown'd in wine" (Recitative)
29:16 "All empires upon God depend" (Chorus)
32:18 "O sacred oracles of truth" (Air of Daniel)
37:42 "Rejoice, my countrymen! The time draws near" (Accompagnato of Daniel)
39:01 "Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus, his anointed" (Air of Daniel)
40:37 "Sing, O ye Heav'ns, for the Lord hath done it!" (Chorus)
44:18 "Let festal joy triumphant reign" (Air of Belshazzar)
48:50 "For you my friends, the nobles of my court" (Recitative)
49:49 "The leafy honours of the field" (Air of Nitocris)
57:10 "It is the custom, I may say, the law" (Recitative)
58:50 "Recall, O king, thy rash command!" (Chorus of Jews)
1:02:35 "They tell you true; nor can you be to learn" (Recitative)
1:04:11 "O dearer than my life, forbear!" (Duet of Nitocris and Belshazzar)
1:09:31 "By slow degress the wrath of God to its meridian height ascends" (Chorus of Jews)
ACT II
1:13:58 "See, from his post Euphrates flies" (Chorus of Persians and Medes)
1:20:00 "You see, my friends, a path into the city" (Recitative)
1:20:48 "Amaz'd to find the foe so near" (Air Cyrus)
1:25:28 "To arms, to arms, no more delay!" (Chorus of Persians and Medes)
1:25:59 "Ye tutelar gods of our empire, look down" (Chorus of Babylonians)
1:28:43 "Let the deep bowl thy praise confess" (Air of Belshazzar)
1:31:09 "Where is the God of Judah's boasted pow'r?" (Accompagnato of Belshazzar)
1:34:21 "Call all my Wise Men, Sorcerers, Chaldeans" (Recitative)
1:34:48 Symphony
1:36:27 "Ye sages, welcome always to your king" (Recitative)
1:37:38 "Oh, misery! Oh terror, hopeless grief!" (Chorus of Babylonians)
1:39:55 "O king, live for ever!" (Recitative)
1:41:37 "No, to thyself thy trifles be" (Air of Daniel)
1:43:21 "Yet, to obey His dread command" (Accompagnato of Daniel)
1:46:02 "Oh, sentence too severe, and yet too sure" (Recitative)
1:46:28 "Regard, O son, my flowing tears" (Air of Nitocris)
1:53:29 "O God of truth, O faithful guide" (Air of Cyrus)
1:57:26 "You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace" (Recitative)
1:58:31 "O glorious prince, thrice happy they" (Chorus)
ACT III
2:03:03 "Alternate hopes and fears distract my mind" (Air of Nitocris)
2:07:11 "Fain would I hope. It cannot surely be" (Recitative)
2:07:41 "Can the black AEthiop change his skin" (Air of Daniel)
2:10:36 "My hopes revive, here Arioch comes! By this" (Recitative)
2:11:38 "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth!" (Chorus of Jews)
2:13:04 "I thank thee, Sesach! Thy sweet pow'r" (Air of Belshazzar)
2:14:32 A Martial Symphony
2:15:08 "To pow'r immortal my first thanks are due" (Air of Gobias)
2:17:08 "Be it thy care, good Gobrias, to find out" (Recitative)
2:17:30 "Destructive war, thy limits know" (Air of Cyrus)
2:19:55 "Great victor, at your feet I bow" (Duet of Nitocris and Cyrus)
2:24:15 "Say, venerable prophet, is there aught" (Recitative)
2:25:10 "Tell it out among the heathen" (Soli and Chorus)
2:26:58 "Yes, I will rebuild thy city, God of Israel!" (Accompagnato of Cyrus)
2:28:30 "I will magnify Thee, O God my king!" (Soli and Chorus)
21 июл 2024
