G. F. Händel: JOSHUA

G. F. Händel: Joshua
oratórium / oratorio HWV 64
(magyarországi bemutató / premiere in Hungary)
Joshua, az izraeliták vezére / The leader of the Israelites– Szigetvári Dávid
Achsah, Caleb leánya / Caleb’s daughter– Jónás Krisztina
Othniel, fiatal harcos / young warrior – Bakos Kornélia
Caleb, Joshua társa / Joshua’s partner – Jekl László
Angyal / Angel – Ducza Nóra
Kodály Kórus Debrecen / Kodály Choir Debrecen
(Karigazgató / Leader: Szabó Sipos Máté)
Savaria Barokk Zenekar / Savaria Baque Orchestra
korhű hangszereken / on period instruments
Vezényel / Conductor: Németh Pál

Rendezők együttműködésben:

Magyar Händel Társaság / Hungarian Handel Society
Savaria Barokk Zenekar / Savaria Baque Orchestra

Amongst Handel’s later Oratorios, Joshua was one of the most successful. Of those composed after Samson, only Judas Maccabaeus received more performances during the composer’s lifetime, and much of this popularity was due to the insertion after the first season’s performances of ‘See the conqu’ring hero comes’, first written for Joshua.

Joshua certainly rated highly with Eliza Heywood who, writing in Epistles for the Ladies, (1749) was: transported into the most divine Exstacy. I closed my Eyes, and imagined myself amidst the angelic Choir in the bright Regions of everlasting Day, chanting the Praises of my great Creator, and his ineffable ‘Messiah’. I seemed, methought, to have nothing of this gross Earth about me, but was all Soul!—all Spirit.

With dramatic incidents such as the tumbling walls of Jericho, the razing by fire of the city, Joshua stopping the sun and moon in their tracks and his rousing an army of depressed troops, not to mention the triumphal return of the warrior after battle, here was heroic material to stimulate any composer. Perhaps not surprisingly, the destruction of Jericho in the second Act leads Handel into one of his greatest thunder choruses, and one which impressed Haydn at a large-scale performance in Westminster Abbey in 1791. He is reported as having: long been acquainted with [the] music, but never knew half its powers before he heard it, and he was perfectly certain that only one inspired Author ever did, or ever would pen so sublime a composition.