Handel: Saul

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Emma Bell is turning out to be a fine Handel singer of considerable power… and her Merab - sometimes haughty, sometimes indignant - affords effective contrast with the fresh and sensuous contours... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2005 More…

Release Date: 5th Sep 2005
Catalogue No: HMC901877/78
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Length: 2 hours 29 minutes

Gramophone Awards

2006

Finalist
BBC Music Magazine

October 2005

Disc of the month
Gramophone Magazine

November 2005

Editor's Choice

Handel: Saul

Work length2:29:43

$46.40

$58.00

Gidon Saks, Michael Slattery, Henry Waddington, Emma Bell, Rosemary Joshua, Finnur Bjarnason, Jeremy Ovenden, Lawrence Zazzo
Concerto Köln, RIAS Kammerchor
René Jacobs

Symphony

Track length8:00

$1.20

$1.50

Act I, Scene I: Chorus "How Excellent Thy Name, O Lord"

Track length2:37

$1.00

$1.25

Act I, Scene I: Air "An Infant Raised by Thy Command" - Trio "Along the Monster Atheist Strode"

Track length2:08

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Act I, Scene I: "The Youth Inspired by Thee, O Lord" - Chorus "How Excellent Thy Name, O Lord"

Track length3:55

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Act I, Scene II: "He Comes, He Comes!" - Air "O God-like Youth!" - Behold, O King, the Brave, Victorious Youth

Track length3:38

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Act I, Scene II: Air "O King, Your Favours With Delight" - "Oh Early Piety!"

Track length5:21

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Act I, Scene II: Air "What Abject Thoughts a Prince Can Have!" - "Yet Think, On Whom This Honour You Bestow"

Track length2:13

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Act I, Scene II: Air "Birth and Fortune I Despise!"

Track length4:56

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Act I, Scene II: "Go On, Illustrious Pair!" - Air "While Yet Thy Tide of Blood Runs High"

Track length2:45

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Act I, Scene II: "Thou, Merab, First In Birth, First In Honour" - Air "My Soul Rejects the Thought With Scorn" / 18. Air "See, With What a Scornful Air" / 19. Air "Ah, Lovely Youth, Wast Thou Designed"

Track length3:19

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Act I, Scene II: "Symphony" - "Already See the Daughters of the Land" / Scene III. 22. Chorus "Welcome, Welcome, Mighty King!"

Track length2:47

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Act I, Scene III: "What Do I Hear?" - Chorus "David His Ten Thousands Slew" / 25. "To Him Ten Thousands" / 26. Air "With Rage I Shall Start Burst His Praises to Hear"

Track length2:17

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Act I, Scene IV: "Imprudent Women!" - Air "Fell Rage and Black Despair Possessed"

Track length2:58

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Act I, Scene IV: "This But the Smallest Part of Harmony" - "By Thee This Universal Frame"

Track length2:47

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Act I, Scene V: "Racked With Infernal Pains" - Air "O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless"

Track length3:51

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Act I, Scene V: Symphony - "Tis All in Vain, His Fury Still Continues"

Track length2:14

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Act I, Scene V: Air "A Serpent, In My Bosom Warmed" - "Has He Escaped My Rage?"

Track length2:22

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Act I, Scene V: Air "Capricious Man"

Track length3:38

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Act I, Scene VI: "O Filial Pity!" - Air "No, Cruel Father, No!"

Track length3:00

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Act I, Scene VI: Air "O Lord, Whose Providence" - Chorus "Preserve Him for the Glory of Thy Name"

Track length3:37

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Act II, Scene I: Chorus "Envy! Eldest Born of Hell!"

Track length2:47

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Act II, Scene II: "Ah! Dearest Friend" Air "But Sooner Jordan's Stream, I Swear"

Track length2:36

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Act II, Scene II: "Oh Strange Vicissitude!" - Air "Such Haughty Beauties Rather Move"

Track length5:07

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Act II, Scene II: "My Father Comes" - Scene III. "Hast Thou Obeyed My Orders"

Track length0:42

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Act II. Scene III. 49. Air "Sin Not, O King, Against the Youth" / 50. Air "As Great Jehovah Lives" / 51. Air "From Cities Stormed, and Battles Won"

Track length4:54

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Act II. Scene IV. 52. "Appear, My Friend" / 53. Air "Your Words, O King, My Loyal Heart" / 54. "Yes, He Shall Wed My Daughter!"

Track length1:49

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Act II. Scene V. 55. "A Father's Will Has Authorised My Love" / 56. Duet "O Fairest of Ten Thousand Fair" / 57. Chorus "Is There a Man"

Track length4:18

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Act II. Scene V. 58. Symphony

Track length4:35

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Act II. Scene VI. 59. "Thy Father Is As Cruel" / 60. Duet "At Persecution I Can Laugh"

Track length1:37

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Act II. Scene VII. 61. "Whom Dost Thou Seek" / 62. Air "No, No Let the Guilty Tremble"

Track length2:14

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Act II. Scene VIII. 63. "Mean As He Was, He Is My Brother Now" / 64. Air "Author of Peace, Who Canst Controul"

Track length3:32

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Act II. Scene IX. 65. Symphony

Track length1:06

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Act II. Scene IX. 66. "The Time At Length Is Come" / Scene X. 67. "Where Is the Son of Jesse?"

Track length1:29

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Act II. Scene X. 68. Chorus "Oh Fatal Consequence of Rage"

Track length4:46

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Act III. Scene I. 69. "Wretch That I Am" / 70. "Tis Said, Here Lives a Woman"

Track length3:15

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Act III. Scene II. 71. "With Me What Would'st Thou" / 72. Air "Infernal Spirits"

Track length2:50

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Act III. Scene III. 73. "Why Hast Thou Forced Me from the Reals of Peace"

Track length2:42

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Act III. Scene III. 74. Symphony

Track length0:33

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Act III. Scene IV. 75. "Whence Comest Thou?" / 76. Air "Impious Wretch, of Race Accurst!"

Track length2:52

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Act III. Scene IV. 77. March

Track length3:03

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Act III. Scene V. 78. Chorus "Mourn, Israel"

Track length3:27

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Act III. Scene V. 79. Air "Oh Let It Not In Gath Be Heard"

Track length2:07

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Act III. Scene V. 80. Air "From This Unhappy Day"

Track length2:39

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Act III, scene 5. N°81. Aria David: "Brave Jonathan his bow never drew" - N°82. Chorus: "Eagles were not so swift as they"

Track length2:13

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Act III. Scene V. 83. Air "In Sweetest Harmony They Lived!" / 84. "O Fatal Day!" / 85. "Ye Men of Judah, Weep No More!"

Track length9:06

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Act III. Scene V. 86. Chorus "Gird On Thy Sword, Thou Man of Might"

Track length5:01

$1.00

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About

The most dramatic of oratorios. Although oratorios are not intended to be staged, Handel’s Saul is something of an exception - for one thing, it contains extremely precise stage directions which were printed in the wordbooks distributed at performances. Hence audiences at the first English oratorios could construct a form of mental theatre, aided by Handel’s dazzling musical depiction of the action: as we listen, we can see Goliath’s gigantic strides, the course of the Jordan, or Saul throwing his javelin.

Reviews

October 2005

Emma Bell is turning out to be a fine Handel singer of considerable power… and her Merab - sometimes haughty, sometimes indignant - affords effective contrast with the fresh and sensuous contours of Rosemary Joshua's Michal. The dramatically blander role of Jonathan is very well sung by Jeremy Ovenden... under Jacobs's direction the RIAS-Kammerchor comes over very well indeed. The great 'Envy' chorus at the beginning of Act II and the concluding 'Gird on thy sword', gallant in character, are superbly done.

2010

Saul, Handel's first great oratorio, has over the last 15 years or so become one of his most popular on disc, a consequence no doubt of its textural and musical variety, dramatic urgency and sheer entertainment value. There is something for everyone here: rollicking choral celebrations of Israelite victories at the start, balanced at the end by outpourings of national grief, with the stern moral pronouncement of 'Envy, eldest born of hell!' in between; superb arias for a vivid cast of characters, one of whom is a compelling tragic hero of Shakespearian stature; and a good helping of instrumental interest, with Handel ingeniously using orchestral movements to signal the passing of time.
René Jacobs's recording followed only a little over a year after Paul McCreesh's well-regarded, high-production-value account for DG and readers familiar with both conductors' styles will know what kinds of contrast to expect. Jacobs's understanding of the dramatic workings of Baroque opera and oratorio is second to none and, as usual, his performance is outstandingly successful in linking Handel's sequences of numbers into a coherent whole, with recitatives flowing in and out of arias, and choruses arriving and departing with real purpose. The performance also gains theatrical presence by its punchy sound: the orchestra is well represented in the balance – undoubtedly a good thing in view of Concerto Köln's vibrant playing – while the RIAS Chamber Choir are encouraged to let dramatic concerns take precedence over the more smoothly produced 'English anthem' Handel Vocal 521 sound of McCreesh's Gabrieli Consort. Indeed, there is a distinctly continental whiff to Jacobs's choruses which he heightens (some might say distractingly) through the use of 'French'-style final-note trills.
Jacobs's customary attention to detail in recitatives, backed up by some imaginative instrumentation, also draws vital responses from his soloists; certainly Gidon Saks's manly Saul sounds more dangerously volatile in these than he does in his arias, though this may be more Handel's fault than his. The other singers strike a better balance and, while not as starry a line-up as McCreesh's (where the presence of Andreas Scholl as David will be recommendation enough for many), are nevertheless well chosen to achieve a 'company' result. Sopranos Rosemary Joshua and Emma Bell are effectively contrasted as Saul's daughters, while Jeremy Ovenden cuts a humane but incisively heroic figure as Jonathan.
Lawrence Zazzo's David cannot match the sheer vocal allure of Scholl but comes across as more rounded figure – this, after all, is a character who has to be both a sensitive musician and a warrior-leader.
If it is dramatic involvement you want from Saul, then Jacobs's is the one to have, though it certainly should not turn you against McCreesh's classy product. If money is no object (and note that Jacobs gets his performance onto two discs to everyone else's three), you could do worse than treat yourself to more than one.

a must for all Handelians..by a whisker, surely the Saul to have on your shelves

16th September 2005

though they are by no means leisurely, Jacobs's tempi never seem over-fast. Jacobs is dramatic in every number, and among his soloists Rosemary Joshua as Michal and counter-tenor Laurence Zazzo are outstanding.

Handel: Saul

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