C’est à l'âge de 63 ans que Haendel composa Salomon, l’un de ses derniers chefs-d’œuvre. Cet oratorio monumental décrit l’apogée du roi biblique à travers les trois grands moments de sa vie – la construction du temple, le célèbre jugement et la visite de la reine de Saba. Avec un sens dramatique plus affûté que jamais, le compositeur n'hésitait pas à mêler réflexion politique et patriotique à l'exaltation de l’amour charnel et à la célébration des richesses terrestres. Symbiose inédite entre la musique et la langue anglaise selon Winton Dean, l'ouvrage engendra en 1749 de sérieuses difficultés financières à cause de ses effectifs exceptionnels – mais il trouve aujourd'hui sous la baguette de Daniel Reuss des interprètes totalement acquis à sa noble cause !
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL [1685-1759] SOLOMON · ACT ONE No.1 Overture (6'55) · Scene 1 No.2 Chorus of Priests Your harps and cymbals sound (3'40) · No.3 Air. Levite Praise ye the Lord for all his mercies past (4'58) · No.4 Chorus of Priests With pious heart, and holy tongue (4'44) · No.5 Accompagnato. Solomon Almighty pow'r (3'15) · No.6 Recitative. Zadok Imperial Solomon (0'32) · No.7 Air. Zadok Sacred raptures cheer my breast (4'33) · No.8 Chorus of Israelites Throughout the land Jehovah's praise record (3'51) · No.9 Recitative. Solomon Bless'd be the Lord (0'26) · No.10 Air. Solomon What though I trace each herb and flow'r (5'59) · Scene 2 No.11 Recitative. Solomon And see my queen, my wedded love (0'41) · No.12 Air. Queen Bless'd the day when first my eyes (4'52) · No.13 Recitative. Solomon, Queen Thou fair inhabitant of Nile (0'43) · No.14 Duet. Queen, Solomon Welcome as the dawn of the day (3'28) · No.17 Recitative. Solomon My blooming fair (0'09) · No.18 Air. Solomon Haste, haste to the cedar grove (2'45) · No.19 Recitative. Queen When thou art absent from my sight (0'15) · No.20 Air. Queen With thee th'unshelter'd moor I'd tread (2'25) · No.21 Recitative. Zadok Search round the world (0'11) · No.22 Chorus May no rash intruder disturb their soft hours (4'25) · ACT TWO Scene 1 No.23 Chorus of Israelites From the censer curling rise (5'20) · No.24 Recitative. Solomon Prais'd be the Lord (0'54) · No.25 Air. Solomon When the sun o'er yonder hills (4'05) · No.26 Recitative. Levite Great Prince, thy resolution's just (0'19) · No.27 Air. Levite Thrice bless'd that wise discerning king (3'24) · Scene 2 No.28 Recitative. Attendant, Solomon My sovereign liege Scene 3 First Harlot Thou son of David, hear a mother's grief (1'51) · No.29 Trio. Solomon, two Harlots Words are weak to paint my fears (5'17)
SOLOMON · No.30 Recitative. Solomon, 2nd Harlot What says the other to th'imputed charge? (1'11) · No.31 Air. Second Harlot Thy sentence, great king (1'56) · No.32 Recitative. First Harlot Withhold, withhold the executing hand (0'11) · No.33 Air. First Harlot Can I see my enfant gor'd (4'33) · No.34 Accompagnato. Solomon Israel, attend to what your king shall say (1'31) · No.35 Duet. First Harlot, Solomon Thrice bless'd the king (3'06) · No.36 Chorus of Israelites From the east unto the west (2'54) · No.37 Recitative. Zadok From morn to eve I could enraptur'd sing (0'17) · No.38 Air. Zadok See the tall palm that lifts the head (5'46) · No.39 Recitative. First Harlot No more shall armed bands our hopes destroy (0'19) · No.40 Air. First Harlot Beneath the vine, or fig-tree's shade (6'27) · No.41 Chorus of Priests Swell, swell the full chorus to Solomon's praise (3'10) · ACT THREE No.42 Symphony: arrival of the Queen of Sheba (2'52) · No.43 Recitative. Queen of Sheba, Solomon From Arabia's spicy shores (1'10) · No.44 Air. Queen of Sheba Ev'ry sight these eyes behold (4'42) · No.45 Recitative. Solomon Sweep, sweep the string (0'13) · No.46 Solo. Solomon and Israelites Music, spread thy voice around (2'31) · No.47 Solo. Solomon and Israelites Now a diff'rent measure try (1'53) · No.48 Recitative. Solomon Then at once from rage remove (0'31) · No.49 Chorus of Israelites Draw the tear from hopeless love (2'51) · No.50 Recitative. Solomon Next the tortur'd soul release (0'15) · No.51 Solo. Solomon and Israelites Thus rolling surges rise (3'42) · No.52 Recitative Queen of Sheba Thy harmony's divine, great king (1'01) · No.53 Recitative. Zadok Thrice happy king, to have achiev'd (0'39) · No.54 Air. Zadok Golden columns, fair and bright (3'17) · No.55 Recitative. Solomon Gold now is common on our happy shore (0'25) · No.56 Air. Solomon How green our fertile pastures look (2'39) · No.57 Recitative. Queen of Sheba May peace in Salem ever dwell! (0'40) · No.58 Air. Queen of Sheba Will the sun forget to streak (6'22) · No.59 Recitative. Solomon Adieu, fair queen, and in thy breast (0'17) · No.60 Duet. Queen of Sheba, Solomon Ev'ry joy that wisdom knows (2'52) · No.61 Double Chorus Praise the Lord with harp and tongue! (4'21)
