GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Belshazzar, oratorio in three acts (Londres, 1745) Allan Clayton, Rosemary Joshua, Caitlin Hulcup, Iestyn Davies, Les Arts Florissants, William Christie

Contents

George Frideric Handel BELSHAZZAR Oratorio in three acts | Oratorio en trois actes (1745) Libretto by | Livret de Charles Jennens CD1 · Overture (2'40)  ACT I. Scene 1 ·  1. Accompagnato ed Arioso (Nitocris) “Vain fluctuating state of human empire!” (4'28) · 2a. Aria (Nitocris) “Thou, God most high, and Thou alone” (4'37) · 2b. Recitative (Nitocris) “The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh” (1'15) Scene 2 · 3a. Recitative (Nitocris, Daniel) “O much belov’d”  · 3b. Air (Daniel) “Lament not thus, O Queen, in vain!” (4'59) Scene 3 (2'27) ·4. Chorus of Babylonians “Behold by Persia’s hero made” · 5a. Recitative (Gobrias) “Well may they laugh, from meagre famine safe” (1'27) · 5b. Accompagnato (Gobrias) “Oh memory” ·  6. Aria (Gobrias) “Opprest with never ceasing grief ” (3'57) ·  7. Aria (Cyrus) “Dry those unavailing tears” (1'54) ·  8a. Recitative (Cyrus) “Be comforted: safe tho’ the tyrant seem” (3'59) ·  8b. Accompagnato (Cyrus) “Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates” · 8bis. Recitative (Cyrus, Gobrias) “Now tell me Gobrias” ·  9. Aria (Gobrias) “Behold the monstrous human beast” (3'47) · 10a. Recitative (Cyrus) “Can you then think it strange, if drown’d in wine” ·  10b. Aria (Cyrus) “Great God! who yet but darkly known” (4'09) ·  11a. Recitative (Cyrus) “My friends, be confident, and boldly enter” ·  11b. Chorus “All empires upon God depend” (3'28) Scene 4 (4'54) · Arioso (Daniel) “O sacred oracles of truth!” · 13a. Accompagnato (Daniel) “Rejoice, my countrymen: the time draws near” (3'01) · 13b. Recitative (Daniel) “For long ago” · 14. Accompagnato (Daniel) “Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his anointed” · 15. Chorus “Sing, O ye Heav’ns, for the Lord hath done it” (4'16) CD2 Scene 5 (6'45) ·  16a. Aria (Belshazzar) “Let festal joy triumphant reign” ·  16b. Recitative (Belshazzar, Nitocris) “For you, my friends, the nobles of my court” · 17. Aria (Nitocris) “The leafy honours of the field” (7'10) · 18a. Recitative (Belshazzar, Nitocris) “It is the custom; I may say, the law” (1'35) · 18b. Chorus of Jews“Recall, O king, thy rash command”    (2’32) · 19a. Recitative (Nitocris, Belshazzar) “They tell you true; nor can you be to learn” (1'18) · 19b. Duet (Nitocris, Belshazzar) “O dearer than my life, forbear” (4''45) · 20. Chorus of Jews “By slow degrees the wrath of God to its meridian height ascends” (6''08) ACT II. Scene 1 (6''33) · Chorus“See, from his post Euphrates flies!” · 22. Semichorus “Why faithless river dost thou leave” · 23. Semichorus “Euphrates hath his task fulfil’d” · 24. Chorus “Of things on earth, proud man must own” · 25a. Recitative (Cyrus) “You see, my friends, a path into the city” (6''07) · 25b. Aria (Cyrus) “Amaz’d to find the foe so near” · 26. Chorus of Persians “To arms, to arms, no more delay” Scene 2 (2''52) ·  27. Chorus “Ye tutelar gods of our empire, look down” ·  28. Aria (Belshazzar) “Let the deep bowl thy praise confess” (2''35) ·  29a. Accompagnato and Chorus (Belshazzar) “Where is the God of Judah’s boasted pow’r?” (2''41) ·  29b. Recitative (Belshazzar) “Call all our wisemen, sorcerers, Chaldeans” (1''45) ·  30. Symphonie ·  31a. Recitative (Belshazzar) “Ye sages, welcome always to your king” (2''12) ·  31b. Trio (Wisemen) “Alas! too hard a task the king imposes” ·  32a.Chorus “O misery! O terror! hopeless grief!” ·  32b. Recitative (Nitocris, Belshazzar) “O king, live for ever!” (2''58) ·  32c. Recitative (Belshazzar) “Art thou that Daniel, of the Jewish captives?” ·  33. Aria (Daniel) “No: to thyself thy trifles be” ·  34. Accompagnato (Daniel) “Yet to obey his dread command” (3''54) ·  35. Accompagnato (Daniel)“Thou, O King, hast lifted up thyself ” ·  36. Recitative (Nitrocris) “O sentence too severe! and yet too sure!” ·  37. Aria (Nitrocris) “Regard, O son, my flowing tears” (6'22) CD3 Scene 3 (5''16) ·  38a. Aria (Cyrus) “O God of truth! O faithful guide!” ·  38b. Recitative (Cyrus)“You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace” ·  39. Chorus “O glorious prince! thrice happy they” ACT III. Scene 1 (4'42) ·  40a. Aria (Nitrocris) “Alternate hopes and fears distract my mind” ·  40b. Recitative (Nitrocris, Daniel) “Fain would i hope. Is there not room to hope?” ·  41a. Aria (Daniel) “Can the black Æthiop change his skin?”  (3'26) · 41b. Recitative (Nitocris, Arioch, Messenger)“My hopes revive, here Arioch comes: by this” ·  42. Chorus of Jews “Bel boweth down! Nebo stoopeth!”(1'29) · 43. Aria (Belshazzar) “I thank thee, Sesach, thy sweet pow’r”  (2'05) · 44. A martial Symphony Scene 3 (2'23) · 45a. Aria (Gobrias)“To pow’r immortal my first thanks are due” · 45b. Recitative (Cyrus)“Be it thy care, good Gobrias, to find out” · 46. Aria (Cyrus) “Destructive war thy limits know” (2'20) · 47a. Duett (Nitocris, Cyrus) “Great victor, at your feet I bow” (5'58) · 47b. Recitative (Cyrus, Daniel)“Say, venerable prophet, is there ought” · 48. Soli and Chorus (Nitocris, Gobrias, Daniel) “Tell it out among the heathen, that the Lord is King” (1'38) · 49. Accompagnato (Cyrus) “Yes, I will build thy city, God of Israel” (1'37) · 50. Anthem (Daniel, Nitocris, Chorus) “I will magnify Thee, O God my king” (7'00)