Handel - Belshazzar - St. James's Piccadilly
25 March 2017, 19:30It's always an exciting prospect to explore a lesser-known work by Handel. On this occasion, I performed Handel's oratorio 'Belshazzar' (HWV 61) from 1744, with the chorus 'Petros Singers' in a performance at St. James's Piccadilly on Saturday 25th of March 2017.
Petros Singers take great pride in performing repertoire that is "often idiosyncratic, eschewing the typical canonical works in order to shine a light on forgotten masterpieces and rare choral treasures".
The performance was directed by Richard Bannan, the orchestra was led by violinist Madeline Easton and the invited soloists were excellent:
Rupert Charlesworth - Belshazzar
Emma Kirkby - Nitocris, Mother of Belshazzar
David Allsopp - Daniel, A Jewish Prophet
James Hall - Cyrus, Prince of Persia
Giles Underwood - Gobryas, An Assyrian Nobleman
Gregory Bannan - Messenger
Petros Singers sang the choruses of Babylonians, Jews, Medes and Persians.
The involvement of the two natural trumpets and timpani (Russell Gilmour, Gareth Hoddinott and Jeremy Barnett) is relatively light in Belshazzar. It is, undeniably, a long oratorio. The trick for us was to follow the text in the programme to know when to enter, play and leave. I took detailed notes in the rehearsal about when might be suitable to come and go. We were very prompt in the performance but resultantly I heard little of the performance other than the bits I was involved in - such is life!
The oratorio is lengthy, seemingly because the librettist, Charles Jennens, (also librettist of 'Saul' and 'Messiah') sent Handel each act individually, as he finished writing it. Handel was pressed for time so began composing after receiving the first part and realised, upon receipt of the third part, that he would need to compress the work. Otherwise, as Handel said to Jennens, "it would last 4 hours and more".
Petros Singers take great pride in performing repertoire that is "often idiosyncratic, eschewing the typical canonical works in order to shine a light on forgotten masterpieces and rare choral treasures".
The performance was directed by Richard Bannan, the orchestra was led by violinist Madeline Easton and the invited soloists were excellent:
Rupert Charlesworth - Belshazzar
Emma Kirkby - Nitocris, Mother of Belshazzar
David Allsopp - Daniel, A Jewish Prophet
James Hall - Cyrus, Prince of Persia
Giles Underwood - Gobryas, An Assyrian Nobleman
Gregory Bannan - Messenger
Petros Singers sang the choruses of Babylonians, Jews, Medes and Persians.
The involvement of the two natural trumpets and timpani (Russell Gilmour, Gareth Hoddinott and Jeremy Barnett) is relatively light in Belshazzar. It is, undeniably, a long oratorio. The trick for us was to follow the text in the programme to know when to enter, play and leave. I took detailed notes in the rehearsal about when might be suitable to come and go. We were very prompt in the performance but resultantly I heard little of the performance other than the bits I was involved in - such is life!
The oratorio is lengthy, seemingly because the librettist, Charles Jennens, (also librettist of 'Saul' and 'Messiah') sent Handel each act individually, as he finished writing it. Handel was pressed for time so began composing after receiving the first part and realised, upon receipt of the third part, that he would need to compress the work. Otherwise, as Handel said to Jennens, "it would last 4 hours and more".
Russell Gilmour
writing on music, photography, engraving, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.
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Baroque
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BBC Proms
Beethoven
Berlioz
Biber
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Baroque Soloists
Brass Instrument Making
Broadcast
Chronicles
Classical
Concert
Cornetto
Education Outreach
English Slide Trumpet
Engraving
Festival
France
Germany
Gorczycki
Guts and Glory
Göttingen Handel Festival
Handel
Haydn
Historic Royal Palaces
Horn
Instrument
Instrument Making
Interview
Isle of Man
Keyed Trumpet
Kuhnau
Le Concert Lorrain
Lecture
Leipzig
Les Talens Lyriques
London
Masterclass
Modern Trumpet
Monteverdi
Mozart
Museum
Music
Natural Trumpet
Natural Trumpet Courses
OAE
OAEducation
Opera
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Oxford
Period Costume
Photography
Poland
Purcell
Radio Broadcast
Recording
Renaisannce
Review
Royal Academy of Music
Royal Society of Musicians
Schelle
Schütz
Shakespeare
Solomon's Knot
Spain
Spiritato!
St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Switzerland
Taverner Consort
Teaching
Telemann
The English Concert
The Netherlands
The Section
Tour
Touring
Toyota Classics Tour 2018
Travel
Trumpet
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Venice
Ventless
Vivaldi
Vox Luminis
Wedding
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Workshop
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York
Zelenka
Zugtrompete