Solomon, HWV

Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis

The Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis is the Catalogue of Handel's Works. It was published in three volumes by Bernd Baselt between 1978 and 1986, and lists every piece of music known to have been written by George Frideric Handel...

 67, is an oratorio

Oratorio

An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...

 by George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...

. Its libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

 is based on the biblical stories of wise king Solomon

Solomon

Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...

 and is attributed to Newburgh Hamilton

Newburgh Hamilton

Newburgh Hamilton was born in County Tyrone, Ireland and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1708, aged sixteen, but he left without obtaining a degree. He is known to have been Handel’s librettist for three works: Alexander’s Feast , Samson and the Occasional Oratorio...

. The music was composed between May 5 and June 13, 1748

1748 in music

-Events:*April 12 Possible premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach's last St Mark Passion pastiche at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. In addition to two movements by Bach, he incorporates seven arias from George Frideric Handel's Brockes Passion HWV 48 into the work.*August 1748–October 1749 Repeat ...

 and the first performance took place on March 17, 1749

1749 in music

-Events:* March 4 – Johann Sebastian Bach revives his St John Passion BWV 245 with some textual and instrumentational changes at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig...

 with Caterina Galli

Caterina Galli

Caterina Galli was an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano. She first rose to fame in England in the 1740s and early 1750s where she was particularly admired for her performances in the works of George Frideric Handel...

 in the title role at the Theatre Royal

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...

 in London where it had two further performances until March 22.

Roles

Role	Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...	Premiere cast, March 17, 1749 Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... : –
Solomon	alto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...	Caterina Galli Caterina Galli Caterina Galli was an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano. She first rose to fame in England in the 1740s and early 1750s where she was particularly admired for her performances in the works of George Frideric Handel...
Solomon's Queen	soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...	Giulia Frasi Giulia Frasi Giulia Frasi was an Italian operatic soprano who was primarily active in the city of London. A student of educator and historian Charles Burney, Burney described her sound as "a sweet and clear voice, and a smooth and chaste style of singing, which, though cold and unimpassioned, pleased natural...
Nicaule, Queen of Sheba	soprano	Giulia Frasi
First harlot	soprano	Giulia Frasi
Second harlot	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...	Sibilla Gronamann (Mrs Pinto)
Zadok Zadok Zadok was a high priest of the Israelites in Jerusalem after it was conquered by David.Zadok may also refer to:*Rabbi Zadok, tanna of the 1st-century CE*Zadok the Priest, an 18th-century coronation anthem by Handel... , the High Priest	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...	Thomas Lowe Thomas Lowe (tenor) Thomas Lowe was an English tenor and actor. He began his career at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1740. That same year he portrayed the title role in the world premiere of Thomas Arne's Alfred. He sang principally at Covent Garden until 1760 and became particularly associated with the works of...
A Levite Levite In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"...	bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...	Henry Theodore Reinhold Henry Reinhold Henry Reinhold was a singer, reputed to be the son of the archbishop of Dresden.He was born in Dresden and showed an early aptitude for music, which his family apparently discouraged. But he secretly left Dresden to follow Handel, a friend of his reputed father, to London...
Attendant	tenor
Chorus of priests, chorus of Israelites

Structure

The work consists of three acts preceded by an overture

Overture

Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...

. The final number of Act I is the chorus “May no rash intruder”, usually called the Nightingale Chorus, with flutes imitating birdsong. Act 3 begins with the very famous Sinfonia

Sinfonia

Sinfonia is the Italian word for symphony. In English it most commonly refers to a 17th- or 18th-century orchestral piece used as an introduction, interlude, or postlude to an opera, oratorio, cantata, or suite...

 known as "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba".

Act 1

1. Overture

Scene 1:Solomon, Zadok, priests and chorus

2. Your harps and cymbals (chorus)


3. Praise ye the Lord (Levite – air)


4. With pious heart (chorus)


5. Almighty Power (Solomon – accompagnato)


6. Imperial Solomon (Zadok – recitative)


7. Sacred raptures (Zadok – air)


8. Throughout the land (chorus)


9. Bless’d be the Lord (Solomon – recitative)


10. What though I trace (Solomon – air)

Scene 2:To them the Queen

11. And see my Queen (Solomon – recitative)


12. Bless’d the day (Queen – air)


13. Thou fair inhabitant of Nile (Solomon, Queen – recitative)


14. Welcome as the dawn of day (Queen Solomon – duet)


15. Vain are the transient beauties (Solomon – recitative)


16. Indulge thy faith (Zadok – air)


17. My blooming fair (Solomon – recitative)


18. Haste to the cedar grove (Solomon – air)
    

    Haste, haste to the cedar grove,
    

    Where fragrant spices bloom,
    

    And am'rous turtles love,
    

    Beneath the pleasing gloom.
    

    While tinkling down the hill,
    

    Avoiding hateful day,
    

    The little murm'ring rill
    

    In whispers glides away.
    

    
    


19. When thou art absent (Queen – recitative)


20. With thee th’unshelter’d moor (Queen – air)


21. May no rash intruder ("Nightingale Chorus") (chorus)

Act 2

Scene 1:Solomon, Zadok, Levite, chorus of priests and Israelites

22. From the censer (chorus)


23. Prais’d be the Lord (Solomon – recitative)


24. When the sun o’er yonder hills (Solomon – air)


25. Great prince (Levite – recitative)


26. Thrice bless’d that wise discerning king (Levite – air)

Scene 2:To them an attendant

27. My sovereign liege (Attendant, Solomon – recitative)

Scene 3:To them the two harlots

28. Thou son of David (First harlot)


29. Words are weak (First and second harlot, Solomon – trio)


30. What says the other (Solomon, second harlot – recitative)


31. Thy sentence, great king (Second harlot – air)


32. Withhold, withhold the executing hand (First harlot – recitative)


33. Can I see my infant gor’d (First harlot – air)


34. Israel attend (Solomon – accompagnato)


35. Thrice bless’d be the king (First harlot, Solomon – duet)


36. From the east unto the west (chorus)


37. From morn to eve (Zadok – recitative)


38. See the tall palm (Zadok – air)


39. No more shall armed bands (First harlot – recitative)


40. Beneath the vine (First harlot – air)


41. Swell, swell the full chorus (chorus)

Act 3

42. Sinfonia ("Arrival of the Queen of Sheba")

Solomon, Queen of Sheba, Zadok, chorus of Israelites

43. From Arabia’s spicy shores (Queen of Sheba, Solomon – recitative)


44. Ev’ry sight these eyes behold (Queen of Sheba – air)


45. Sweep, sweep the string (Solomon – recitative)


46. Music spread thy voice around (Solomon and chorus)


47. Now a different measure (Solomon and chorus)


48. Then at once from rage remove (Solomon – recitative)


49. Draw the tear from hopeless love (chorus)


50. Next the tortur’d soul release (Solomon – recitative)


51. Thus rolling surge rise (Solomon and chorus)


52. Thy harmony’s divine (Queen of Sheba – recitative)


53. Pious king (Levite – air)


54. Thrice happy king (Zadok – recitative)


55. Golden columns (Zadok – air)


56. Praise the Lord (chorus)


57. Gold now is common (Solomon – recitative)


58. How green our fertile pastures look (Solomon – air)


59. May peace in Salem (Queen of Sheba – recitative)


60. Will the sun forget to streak (Queen of Sheba – air)


61. Adieu, fair queen (Solomon – recitative)


62. Ev’ry joy that wisdom knows (Queen of Sheba, Solomon – duet)


63. The name of the wicked (chorus)

Recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Chorus and/or Orchestra	Label
1967	Saramae Endich Saramae Endich Saramae Endich was an American classical soprano who had an active performance career in concerts and operas during the 1950s and 1960s.-Life and career:... Patricia Brooks Patricia Brooks Patricia Brooks , was a lyric soprano, actress, and opera singer, who performed primarily with the New York City Opera. She was known for her acting ability as much as for her voice.-Biography:... Alexander Young Alexander Young (tenor) Alexander Basil Young was an English tenor who had an active career performing in concerts and operas from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. He was particularly admired for his performances in the operas of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini.In 1953 he performed the role of Tom Rakewell in the... John Shirley-Quirk John Shirley-Quirk John Shirley-Quirk CBE is an English bass-baritone.He was born in Liverpool, England, and sang in his high school choir. He played the violin and was awarded a scholarship. While studying chemistry and physics at Liverpool University, he studied voice with Austen Carnegie...	Stephen Simon (conductor) Vienna Youth Choir Vienna Volksoper Orchestra Vienna Volksoper The Vienna Volksoper is a major opera house in Vienna, Austria. It gives about three hundred performances of twenty-five productions during an annual season running from September through June....	RCA Red Seal Records RCA Red Seal Records RCA Red Seal Records is a classical music label and is now part of Sony Masterworks.The Red Seal label was begun in 1902 by the Gramophone Company in the United Kingdom and was quickly picked up by its United States affiliate, the Victor Talking Machine Company, and its president, Eldridge R. Johnson... , 1968 3 sound discs : 33 1/3 rpm, stereo ; 12 in LP LSC 6187

External links

• Performance details
• Libretto at Stanford University
  Stanford University
  The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
  
  
• Score, Deutsche Händelgesellschaft (German Handel Society), 1867