Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert & Choir - Handel: Belshazzar (2004)

Belshazzar (HWV 61) is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. The libretto was by Charles Jennens, and Handel abridged it considerably. Jennens’ libretto was based on the Biblical account of the fall of Babylon at the hands of Cyrus the Great and the subsequent freeing of the Jewish nation, as found in the Book of Daniel.
Handel composed Belshazzar in the late Summer of 1744 concurrently with Hercules, during a time that Winton Dean calls “the peak of Handel’s creative life”.The work premiered the following Lenten season on 27 March 1745 at the King’s Theatre, London.The work fell into neglect after Handel’s death, with revivals of the work occurring in the United Kingdom in 1847, 1848 and 1873.With the revival of interest in Baroque music and historically informed musical performance since the 1960s, Belsahzzar receives performances in concert form today and is also sometimes fully staged as an opera.

Performer:
Belshazzar, king of Babylon – Anthony Rolfe Johnson
Nitocris, mother of Belshazzar – Arleen Augér
Cyrus, prince of Persia – Catherine Robbin
Daniel, a Jewish prophet – James Bowman
Gobrias, an Assyrian nobleman, revolted to Cyrus – David Wilson-Johnson
The English Concert
Choir of the English Concert
Conductor – Trevor Pinnock

Track List:
CD1:
01. Overture
02. Accompagnato ed Arioso: Vain, fluctuating state of human empire! (Nitocris)
03. Air: Thou, God most high, and Thou alone (Nitocris)
04. Recitativo: The fate of Babylon, I fear, is nigh (Nitocris, Daniel)
05. Air: Lament not thus, oh Queen, in vain! (Daniel)
06. Chorus: Behold, by Persia’s hero made’ (Babylonians)
07. Recitativo: Well may they laugh – Accompagnato: Oh memory! Still bitter to my soul (Gobrias, Cyrus)
08. Air: Opprest with never-ceasing grief (Gobrias)
09. Air: Dry thoes unavailing tears (Cyrus)
10. Resitativo: Be comforted: safe though the tyrant seem (Cyrus)
11. Recitativo: Now, tell me, Gobrias (Cyrus, Gobrias)
12. Air: Behold the monstrous human beast (Gobrias)
13. Recitativo: Can you then think it strange (Cyrus)
14. Air: Great God! who, yet but darkly known (Cyrus)
15. Recitativo: My friends, be confident (Cyrus)
16. Chorus: All empires upon God depend
17. Air: Oh scared oracles of Truth!’ (Daniel)
18. Accompagnato: Rejoice, my countrymen – Air: Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus (Daniel)
19. Chorus: Sing oh ye heav’ns
CD2:
01. Scene 4. Air: Let festal joy triumphant reign! (Belshazzar)
02. Recitativo: For you, my friends (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
03. Air: The leafy honours of the field (Nitocris)
04. Recitativo: It is the custom, I may say, the law (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
05. Chorus: Recall, oh king! thy rash command (Jews)
06. Recitativo: They tell you true (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
07. Duet: Oh dearer than my life, forbear! (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
08. Chorus: By slow degrees the wrath of God (Jews)
09. Act II. Scene 1. Chorus: See, from his post Euphrates flies!
10. Recitativo: You see, my friends, a path (Cyrus)
11. Air: Amaz’d to find the foe so near (Cyrus)
12. Chorus: To arms, to arms! no more delay! (Persians)
13. Scene 2. Chorus: Ye tutelar gods of our empire
14. Air: Let the deep bowl thy praise confess (Belshazzar)
15. Accompagnato: Where is the God of Judah’s boasted pow’r (Belshazzar, Chorus)
16. Recitativo: Call all my Wise Men (Belshazzar)
CD3:
01. A Sinfony
02. Recitativo: Ye sages! welcome always to your king (Belshazzar)
03. Chorus: Oh misery! – oh terror! – hopeless grief
04. Recitativo: Oh king! live for ever! (Belshazzar, Nitocris)
05. Air: No! to thyself thy trifles be (Daniel)
06. Accompagnato: Yet, to obey his dread command (Daniel)
07. Recitativo: Oh sentence too severe! – Air: Regard, oh son, my flowing tears (Nitocris)
08. Scene 3. Air: Oh God of Truth! oh faithful guide! (Cyrus)
09. Recitativo: You, Gobrias, lead directry to the palace (Cyrus)
10. Chorus: Oh glorious prince!
11. Act III. Scene 1. Air: Alternate hopes and fears (Nitocris)
12. Recitativo: Fain would I hope (Nitocris, Daniel)
13. Air: Can the black Aethiop change his skin (Daniel)
14. Recitativo: My hopes revive (Nitocris, Arioch, Messenger)
15. Chorus: Bel boweth down (Jews)
16. Scene 2. Air: I thank thee, Sesach (Belshazzar)
17. A Martial Symphony
18. Scene 3. Air: To pow’r immortal my first thanks (Gobrias)
19. Recitativo: Be it thy care, good Gobrias – Air: Destructive War, thy limits know (Cyrus)
20. Duet: Great victor, at your feet I bow (Nitocris, Cyrus)
21. Recitativo: Say, venerable prophet (Cyrus, Daniel)
22. Soli & Chorus: Tell it out among the heathen
23. Accompagnato: Yes, I will build thy city (Cyrus)
24. Soli & Chorus: I will magnify thee (Cyrus, Daniel, Nitocris)

Exact Audio Copy V1.6 from 23. October 2020

EAC extraction logfile from 10. August 2021, 20:22

Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert & Choir / Handel – Belshazzar CD1

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Exact Audio Copy V1.6 from 23. October 2020

EAC extraction logfile from 10. August 2021, 21:37

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Exact Audio Copy V1.6 from 23. October 2020

EAC extraction logfile from 10. August 2021, 22:47

Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert & Choir / Handel – Belshazzar CD3

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