Belshazzar
HWV 61
Belshazzar, with its detailed stage instructions and many short forms such as accompagnato recitatives and ariosi, is the most dramatic of George Frideric Handel’s oratorios. It is de facto a sacred opera, but because of the ban on biblical plots on the stage in England at that time, it had to be composed in the form of an oratorio, i. e. for non-staged performance. For this work Handel chose one of the most enthralling subjects in world and religious history: the fall of Babylon and the liberation of the Jewish people.
The Carus Urtext edition brings together all three performable versions of the work: the one from the first performance of 1745, as well as the reworkings of 1751 and 1758. For the first time, this edition consistently follows Handel’s conductor’s score, which provides clarity about the numbers which Handel actually performed. Additionally, the edition includes the aria “Lament not thus” which was cut before the first performance. Thus all the choruses and arias composed by Handel for Belshazzar are available together, including the late arias “Wise men” and “Fain would I know” which are hardly known.
- First Urtext edition
- For the first time all three performable versions of the work in one edition
- Based throughout on Handel’s conductor’s score
- Includes the aria “Lament not thus” which was cut before the first performance
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, originalhtml file, singing text, original (Sample)...
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, originalhtml file, singing text, original (Sample)ACT I [1. Ouverture] Scene 1
The palace in Babylon.
2. Accompagnato (Soprano)NITOCRIS
3. Air (Soprano)
Vain, fluctuating state of human empire!
First, small and weak, it scarcely rears its head,
scarce stretching out its helpless infant arms,
implores protection of its neighbour states,
who nurse it to their hurt. Anon, it strives
for pow’r and wealth, and spurns at opposition.
Arriv’d to full maturity, it grasps
at all within its reach, o’erleaps all bounds,
robs, ravages and wastes the frighted world.
At length grown old, and swell’d to bulk enormous,
the monster in its proper bowels feeds
pride, luxury, corruption, perfidy,
contention, fell diseases of a state,
that prey upon her vitals. Of her weakness
some other rising pow’r advantage takes,
(unequal match!) plies with repeated strokes
her infirm aged trunk: she nods – she totters –
she falls – alas! never to rise again.
The victor state, upon her ruins rais’d,
runs the same shadowy round of fancied greatness,
meets the same certain end....
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, german translationhtml file, singing text, german translation (Sample)
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, german translationhtml file, singing text, german translation (Sample)ACT I [1. Ouverture] Scene 1
Der Palast in Babylon.
2. Accompagnato (Soprano)NITOCRIS
3. Air (Soprano)
Ach, unstät eitles Los der Menschenherrschaft!
Erst klein und schwach, erhebt sie kaum das Haupt,
streckt kaum noch aus hülflos die Kindeshand
und ruft um Schutz an jedes Nachbarreich,
das töricht ihn gewährt. Alsbald erstrebt
sie Kraft und Macht und trotzet jeder Hemmnis.
Bei voller Reife angelangt, erfasst
sie alles um sich her, verhöhnt das Recht,
raubt, verwüstet, verheert die bange Welt.
Zuletzt, voll angeschwellt zu Riesengröße,
ernährt das Ungetüm im eignen Schoß
Stolz, Üppigkeit, Verderbnis, Eidesbruch
und Zwietracht, faule Seuchen eines Staats,
die ihm das Mark zerstören. Seine Schwäche
nimmt eine neue Macht voll Gierde wahr,
(ungleicher Kampf!) und schlägt mit junger Kraft
sein alt gebeugtes Haupt: Er wankt – er sinket –
er fällt, ach weh! nie wieder zu erstehn.
Das Siegerreich, auf seinen Fall gebaut,
durchläuft den gleichen Kreis erträumter Größe,
endend am gleichen Ziel.NITOCRIS
Du, Gott der Höh’, und du allein,
bleibst immerdar dir selber gleich:
Endlosen Raum...
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, Introductory text, germanhtml file, Introductory text, german (Sample)Gekürztes Vorwort der Ausgabe Carus 55.061
Felix Loy
Das Oratorium in der von Georg Friedrich Händel entwickelten Gestalt war die perfekte, zeitgemäße Antwort auf die damals aktuellen Bestrebungen zur Überwindung des starken Einflusses der italienischen Oper, die in den Augen des englischen Publikums zunehmend für überlebte Strukturen stand, sowohl im gesellschaftlichen Sinn (Ausdruck des Absolutismus) als auch musikalisch (besonders die „erstarrte“ Form der Dacapo-Arie). Händel erfindet in diesem historischen Moment tatsächlich eine „englische Oper“; nur muss sie aus äußerlichem Grund in anderem Gewand erscheinen: Seit dem Blasphemy Act von 1605 war in England die szenische Aufführung biblischer Stoffe verboten.
Ein Musterbeispiel des „dramatischen Oratoriums“ in diesem Sinne schuf Händel 1744 mit Belshazzar. Sein Librettist Charles Jennens war einer der prominentesten Vertreter des Jakobitismus, dessen Anhänger sich zum Hause Stuart bekannten. Vor dem Hintergrund des aktuellen Zeitgeschehens ist es sehr plausibel, dass Jennens mit der Geschichte vom Sieg des Cyrus über Belshazzar allegorisch für die Rückgabe der Königskrone an das Haus Stuart werben wollte: Anfang 1744 war bereits bekannt, dass sich der
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, Introductory text, englishhtml file, Introductory text, english (Sample)Abridged foreword of the Edition Carus 55.061
Felix Loy
Translation: Gudrun and David KosvinerThe oratorio in the form developed by George Frideric Handel was the perfect contemporary response to the current movement aimed at overcoming the strong influence of Italian opera, which in the eyes of the English public increasingly stood for outmoded structures, both in the social sense (as an expression of absolutism) and musically (particularly the “frozen” form of the da capo aria). At this historic moment, Handel in fact invented an “English opera”. For external reasons, however, it needed to appear in a different guise: since the Blasphemy Act of 1605, the scenic performance of biblical material was forbidden in England.
In 1744, Handel created a prime example of the “dramatic oratorio” in this sense with Belshazzar. His librettist Charles Jennens was one of the most prominent representatives of Jacobitism, whose followers professed their loyalty to the House of Stuart. Against the background of current events, it is very plausible that Jennens intended to use the story of Cyrus’s victory over Belshazzar allegorically to promote the return of the royal crown to the House of Stuart: At the beginning of 1744 it
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Composer
Georg Friedrich Händel
| 1685-1759George Frideric Handel put his exceptionally versatile compositional abilities to the test at an early age. After moving to London in 1712, where he was appointed Composer of Musick for His Majesty’s Chapel Royal in 1723, he wrote numerous masterpieces for the royal court as well as his major opere serie. For many years he enjoyed triumphant successes with his operas, which were sung by outstanding performers, with serenades, and later also with oratorios such as Saul and Israel in Egypt. Over the years Handel’s reputation grew far beyond the city where he worked; some of his choral works, particularly Messiah, have enjoyed a performance tradition which remains unbroken to this day, and are sung by choirs throughout the world. Personal details
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Editor
Felix Loy
| 1963
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Songwriter / Librettist
Charles Jennens
Reviews
... Mit dieser Edition des "Belshazzar" ist der Stuttgarter Verlag eindeutig in die Pole-Position der für dieses Werk verfügbaren Ausgaben vorgerückt!
Kirchenmusik im Bistum Limburg, 02/2023
... Dem Carus-Verlag ist es nicht hoch genug anzurechnen, dass er mit dieser vorbildlichen Urtext-Ausgabe erstmals alle drei aufführbaren Fassungen des Oratoriums in einer Edition vereint. … Eine echte Empfehlung, denn es muss nicht immer der Messias sein.
Markus Utz, Schweizer Musikzeitung, 03/2021
... Die Edition im Rahmen der Stuttgart Handel ~ Editions ist vorbildlich, das Druckbild gut.
Forum Kirchenmusik, 05/2021
... Wer sich mit diesem Stück befasst, wird mit einem zwar etwas solo-lastigen, aber farbenreichen Stück belohnt.
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik, 05/2021
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