Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The oratorio Saul tells a focused story: jealous of young David's popularity after his victory over Goliath, King Saul orders his son Jonathan to murder him. Jonathan, David's best friend, refuses. Saul dissimulates, but when Jonathan produces David, he tries again to kill him. In an attempt to assuage his fears, Saul has the Witch of Endor call up the spirit of the Prophet Samuel, who promptly informs him that, on the morrow, there will be a great battle in which Saul and Jonathan will be killed, and that David will inherit his kingdom. Although biblical, the story is on a human rather than epic scale, allowing Handel many opportunities for character development, as well as clever instrumental effects. (For example, the witch's bassoons, or the long series of interrupted laments David sings in the third act.) The individual movements tend to be shorter than is usual for Handel, so that the work seems to move along quickly, rather like another oratorio with a compact plot, the splendid Athalia. This performance is excellent; all of the soloists are strong, although Cordier's David takes on a weak edge at times. Very good recorded sound. --Paul Turok
Handel - Saul / S. MacLeod · Cordier · Schoch · Schlick · McFadden · Beekman · G. Schwarz · Frankfurt BO · Martini, Music, George Frideric Handel, Joachim Carlos Martini, Stephan MacLeod, David Cordier, Barockorchester Frankfurt, Junge Kantorei, Knut Schoch, Barbara Schlick, Claron McFadden, Gotthold Schwarz Marcel Beekman, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Oratorio
Track Listings:
Track Listings
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