Solomon (Handel)
Solomon, HWV 67, is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. Its libretto is based on the biblical stories of wise king Solomon and is attributed to Newburgh Hamilton. The music was composed between May 5 and June 13, 1748 and the first performance took place on March 17, 1749 with Caterina Galli in the title role at the Theatre Royal in London where it had two further performances until March 22.
Roles
Structure
The work consists of three acts preceded by an overture. 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 known as "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba".
Act 1
- Overture
- Scene 1
- Solomon, Zadok, priests and chorus
- Your harps and cymbals (chorus)
- Praise ye the Lord (Levite – air)
- With pious heart (chorus)
- Almighty Power (Solomon – accompagnato)
- Imperial Solomon (Zadok – recitative)
- Sacred raptures (Zadok – air)
- Throughout the land (chorus)
- Bless’d be the Lord (Solomon – recitative)
- What though I trace (Solomon – air)
- Scene 2
- To them the Queen
- And see my Queen (Solomon – recitative)
- Bless’d the day (Queen – air)
- Thou fair inhabitant of Nile (Solomon, Queen – recitative)
- Welcome as the dawn of day (Queen Solomon – duet)
- Vain are the transient beauties (Solomon – recitative)
- Indulge thy faith (Zadok – air)
- My blooming fair (Solomon – recitative)
- 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.
- When thou art absent (Queen – recitative)
- With thee th’unshelter’d moor (Queen – air)
- May no rash intruder ("Nightingale Chorus") (chorus)
Act 2
- Scene 1
- Solomon, Zadok, Levite, chorus of priests and Israelites
- From the censer (chorus)
- Prais’d be the Lord (Solomon – recitative)
- When the sun o’er yonder hills (Solomon – air)
- Great prince (Levite – recitative)
- Thrice bless’d that wise discerning king (Levite – air)
- Scene 2
- To them an attendant
- My sovereign liege (Attendant, Solomon – recitative)
- Scene 3
- To them the two harlots
- Thou son of David (First harlot)
- Words are weak (First and second harlot, Solomon – trio)
- What says the other (Solomon, second harlot – recitative)
- Thy sentence, great king (Second harlot – air)
- Withhold, withhold the executing hand (First harlot – recitative)
- Can I see my infant gor’d (First harlot – air)
- Israel attend (Solomon – accompagnato)
- Thrice bless’d be the king (First harlot, Solomon – duet)
- From the east unto the west (chorus)
- From morn to eve (Zadok – recitative)
- See the tall palm (Zadok – air)
- No more shall armed bands (First harlot – recitative)
- Beneath the vine (First harlot – air)
- Swell, swell the full chorus (chorus)
Act 3
- Sinfonia ("Arrival of the Queen of Sheba")
- Solomon, Queen of Sheba, Zadok, chorus of Israelites
- From Arabia’s spicy shores (Queen of Sheba, Solomon – recitative)
- Ev’ry sight these eyes behold (Queen of Sheba – air)
- Sweep, sweep the string (Solomon – recitative)
- Music spread thy voice around (Solomon and chorus)
- Now a different measure (Solomon and chorus)
- Then at once from rage remove (Solomon – recitative)
- Draw the tear from hopeless love (chorus)
- Next the tortur’d soul release (Solomon – recitative)
- Thus rolling surge rise (Solomon and chorus)
- Thy harmony’s divine (Queen of Sheba – recitative)
- Pious king (Levite – air)
- Thrice happy king (Zadok – recitative)
- Golden columns (Zadok – air)
- Praise the Lord (chorus)
- Gold now is common (Solomon – recitative)
- How green our fertile pastures look (Solomon – air)
- May peace in Salem (Queen of Sheba – recitative)
- Will the sun forget to streak (Queen of Sheba – air)
- Adieu, fair queen (Solomon – recitative)
- Ev’ry joy that wisdom knows (Queen of Sheba, Solomon – duet)
- The name of the wicked (chorus)
Recordings
Notes
External links