Handel:The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from "Solomon"

[colsnake331]

I've always viewed Handel as a rebel with an adventuring sprit that wasn't afraid to twist the musical system to make money and uppermost, stay ahead of the game. A Miles Davis, Gil Evans kind of guy. Brilliant!

[cuagmirag]

she surely was in a hurry



[stavszir]

Who is going to win the race???

[ghkypreos1]

Καλή εκτέλεση! Αλλά πολλή ταχύτητα, βρε παιδί μου...

[wallacesfeijo]

frhjtyjy

[mmhhdmjyyb]

impressive....different flavor..thumb up:)

[PtolemeeAlexandrinus]

Looks like the Queen had to go to the toilets

[s1earle]

So many other versions pale in comparison and disrespect to the cause...This is at the tempo which I think Handel intended.

[indigoblue555]

Sounds as a quicky in music.

[majav15mg]

This is Baroque Music muh fuckaz.... it's fast and furious... in yer face biatches.

[ralfleenen]

I think there is no "right tempo" for this, it can vary from quite slow to quite fast, but it should be performed with ease, dignity and grandeur.

Even if wonderfully well played, I can't help finding this version a little rushed....

[milwgac]

sounds like a good case of feaguing...

[IamAlessandro1]

the queen of sheba at the Mte.Carlo race lol... ;) why not, just for once. But Haendel was a genius no questions about that

[MartirioEterno]

some comments are hilarious :-)

[perorazj]

The queen must be running late.

[31071946]

@perorazj LOL!!!!!!!!

[Mussachasky]

amazing

[billybloggins]

Wow. I've never heard such a breathless vrsion before, and although it trips and rushes along at breakneck speed, it does impart a new sense of drama and excitement. But I still prefer this taken just a little more slowly: the greater majesty this allows adds a grandeur I feel is missing here.

[Olafko]

I think it's a bit to fast... it sounds indeed like she is in a hurry or the visit was by sportscar.... lol

[Olafko]

@TomosTaffers hehe, yes, she is quite in a hurry.... lol

[pegrueneis]

@TomosTaffers ha ha right-but nice

[onlinelondon]

Why didn't I listen more to Handel before; I think I was hung up in Bach too much....

Beautiful melodies he contrived/composed

ed

w w w eddy nu

[Haludek]

I'm enjoying the tempo so much! :D

The piece gets more rock&roll-ish this way! :D

[indigoblue555]

Even back then queens had no time to waste...

[pipespel]

A delightful version!

[celticboy1950]

I agree, a touch too fast, magnifique nevertheless!!!

[Tapeleg19]

There is not enough Handel on youtube

[lacph]

Nice ...but please slow down, one can believe you have a flight to catch after the performance ? Original is much slower...

[lacph]

my God... slow down  !!!!

[SeattleWaffle]

gorgeous piece no matter what the tempo. At least I am not alone in my observations that this is on the fast side compared to other performances/recordings.

[jonlee325]

can anyone tell me what the musical form of this song is?

[ToccataInF]

@jonlee325 Without getting out the score (which I don't have anyway) I'd go with rondo -- a b a c a etc. In the beginning the contrasting sections are contrasts between the strings and oboes, later on those lines are blurred.

[Francisco358]

este tema es especial porque me gusta mas que los de beethoven,mozart,bach y strauss. me encanta Andel

[PianoMusic37]

Also, don't you think it's a good thing that music is such a varied and living art? Different performances of the same piece can sound so dissimilar and yet they can be just as accurate.

Too bad Handel didn't record this on an mp3 while he was alive. I guess I'll never know how HE conducted it. Hahaha

[PianoMusic37]

Sir Neville Marriner is a brilliant maestro.

I trust his proven expertise in musical interpretation any day.

If you're desperate for something slow and Handel-composed, go listen to "Ombra mai fu".

[Azaidnilled]

it's fast but rocks!

[applebys20]

I AGREE..THE ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN WITH A ROCKET UP HER ARSE.......TOO FAST MAAAAAAAAAAAANN

[lijluvr356]

@applebys20 Funny image that.

[rcocron]

@TomosTaffers haha that is so true - indeed very fast!!

[spiderlime]

i somehow imagine handel humming this tune on his way across london one early morning... buying an apple, brandishing his walking stick, around, pinching some serving-maid's bottom, humming all along... just my imagination...

[5355vbxjbj76rvn]

@TomosTaffers

A Volkswagen Beetle, or a Fiat ? Something Italian, surely, so a Fiat

[cowlikesbeef]

the tempo reminds me of an orgasm.

[Byron10301]

Well, I get an orgasm listening to this, no matter the tempo :D

[Weffe52]

@Byron10301 Who are you?? I am not amused.

[cocapinar]

why so fast? in that time where no racecars or jetplanes.

[gbaune]

2fast4u ?

[freebeard79]

The speed sort of spoils it because you don't get to hear some of the fine details. :-/

[pielady211]

i love this song but it's so fast, i usually can only play it MUCH slower

[eclecticsw]

@TomosTaffers LMAO! That was awesome.

[eclecticsw]

One of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. Spectacular.

[spectre1912]

Way too fast!!!

[ATLKapellmeister]

Love the tempo. Thanks for bringing life this piece. Who is the conductor?

[shark4960]

Very fast!

[Hatenbom]

way too fast....please

[jerrytay]

She has another pressing appointment at China.... hence the rush..... lol

[trms83br]

hahahahahahaha, good one, but i actually like this "rush" feeling, it adds extra brilliancy! although it could be slightly (just a tiny bit) slower to maintain a certain dignified feeling, as it's a queen arrival, anyway.

[lalagonegaga]

Hahahaha, OMG, she's not arriving, she's galloping, about to trip and fall flat on her face! XD

[pauljbv]

I see it more as the frantic preparations as the Queen of Sheba approaches...servants decorating with great drapes of golden silk that cascade from the ceiling, lacing garlands of flowers around columns, and rolling out carpets so when she enters the place is shimmering with brilliance..and just in time.

[zargorn]

@pauljbv Thats a nice picture. I always have the glamorous queen and servants in mind for the string parts with the strings symbolizing the shimmering jewels and dresses. And the oboes afterwards symbolize the trumpets heralding her arrival. Wonder what Handel had in mind when he wrote it.

And I agree. This si slightly too fast for my taste ...

[flowforms]

@pauljbv yes similar for me - but I have seen her entering hall - all decked out by your crew - and she has her servants out front with gifts for Solomon who sits on a throne. In front of her are powerful men with huge ostrich feather fans shaking them like a fast vibrato and people in the hall are amazed- quivering with excitement - by her beauty and wealth - and at the end Solomon stands up to welcome her ---- etc etc fun!

[peteacher52]

@pauljbv Good comment! I reckon Sheba must've had her best running shoes on in her anxiety to meet Ole Sol!

[hermocrates64]

hahaha the queen's hasty entrance

[whytek24]

Love it, If i had a signature tune it would be this, :)

[LeonBeethoven]

wooow!!!!! handel y vivaldi al igual ke beethoven son unos verdaderos maestros,no hay duda,solo cheken esto, rayos!!!

[01BroadwayMagic]

i love this fast tempo!!!!!!

[stuajs]

Estas canciones son las que te hacen mover la cabeza estupidamente xD

[Harlekinopal]

Das ist eher " Arrival of the Queen in Schumis racing-car"

[ihamoitc2005]

Galloping in on horseback, is she?  Tight performance.

[staryjaszczur]

Agree, to fast.

[Thying1]

Excellent !!!

[8Dkels]

en la musica si buena, mucho buena! bueno trabajo!(: (i speak ingles) siento no bueno espanol!

[31071946]

She isn't arriving, she's running!

[camposi]

it´s true, this version is very fast but it sounds very good to me. The right thing to get awake in the morning.

[ChopRachma]

very funny indeed !

[indigoblue555]

Listening to again,it sounds like more as a rush away than an arrival...

Abs. enjoyable though :)

[Kazekane]

this is true baroque music masterpiece, it's best played accurately and fast

[rhadu]

it's happier this way....fast.

[kandutery]

it´s the dancing version.

[deutschliebe]

perhaps the tempo reflects the Queen's mood. obviously, she is in a royal rush today.

[peteg391]

i just got a tingle inside me :)

[indigoblue555]

The Queen had no time to waste..............

[JTankred]

Is this a nice version?! too too fast!

[camposi]

maybe it´s played faster(from tape) - so the higher tune?

[lukameridian]

en la musica no hay una regla para leer las partituras si rapidas o lentas, el director de cada orquesta pone el ritmo... si piensas que no es una buena version por eso que looser.

[wellbn1]

It's too fast; it sounds a bit carnevalesque

[gerdieken]

Shouldn't it be played fast ?? Kinda like it this way too...

[theNDNartist]

CAN YOU SPEED IT UP FASTER!!!

[theNDNartist]

I agree with the comments posted, theymade me laugh, yeah i can just she Her Majesty walking at the speed and the rythum of this music adn I can just laugh.The Music is played way too fast.

[DarthSameth]

I kinda liked it fast ^^

Great piece though :)

[VLAD1429]

i agree with it being way too fast. take it a BIT slower, but still at a quick tempo next time.

and i didn't hear much dynamic change...:/

still a good performance though! :)

[BrusselsSouth]

If it's to fast, then adjust the pitch of the Hard Disk from 7.200 rpm back to 5.400 rpm and it will be perfect !

[handelfan610]

at this speed i can picture a bunch of dignitaries racing about trying to prepare for the arrival of the queen of sheba. it's quite funny...running around trying to make sure everything is perfect.

[scluna44]

In my opion, it is too fast. Excellent job though.

[earthatic]

Performed really well, I really enjoyed it!

[AinslieRiddell]

Much too fast.

[WiseMonki]

The Queen of Sheba. The woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in bible. In Britain, there is a common colloquial remark "and I'm the Queen of Sheba"; as a retort to something that is obviously false or meaning "I do not believe that statement or to poke fun at another person or perhaps displayed superior behavioral traits, resulting in someone remarking, "Who does he think he is, The Queen of Sheba?". Wonderful music I remeber playing this (Violin). Kindest regards,

[baalhaophanim]

Las piezas musicales evolucionan por ellas mismas, como que son seres vivientes del mundo de las inteligencias y los números, por tanto, es normal que después de conocer las versiones tradicionales, los hombres queramos versiones más rápidas, en el Hiperuranio, la versión dura un punto de tiempo, que es la duración de la eternidad

[ramgdl]

Excelente interpretaciòn!

[Persimmoni]

The queen has to rush to be home for dinner Dx /fail attempt at joke. But great recording. :D Thanks for uploading!

[tenstens]

lol

[coolclairep]

I love at that speed - it seems too slow otherwise! I think it sounds exciting and expectant. I guess it's what version you're used to first - the version I have on cd at home is this speed, and I think it's perfect!

[lascarisvintimille]

Elle n'arrive pas, elle fait un sprint !

[indigoblue555]

It seems the Queen had no time to waste.....

[bamboocuting]

too fast

[praskovia13]

then come back to this AMLE good luck

[amleshjk]

I am going to play this piece next year with my school's senior orchestra. I play the oboe, and I think that I might have trouble with this piece ;)

[praskovia13]

get a feel for it aml, u'll be ok, handel and Beethoven sure work their musicians hard, u'll be great

[praskovia13]

amle try SHMOBOT s version of this

[praskovia13]

nah magna it is fast, good tho, the queen was in a hurry, and seriously, this loses absolutely nothing for the tempo

[praskovia13]

its a good job Zadok the Priest wasn't in quite such a hurry

[handelfan610]

hahaha, priest like to take there time, the queen on the other hand had some where to go apparently. i think of this more as the people getting last minute things together music.

[JuiJie82]

so fast.. but i like it

[praskovia13]

lolllllllllllll indigo

[praskovia13]

bet Handel was great to live with, his music is faster than the Pogues and always pleasing, fills ur heart with joy

[stonescourt3]

indeed (although pogues are very pleasing as well)...thanks for sharing this!

[praskovia13]

slightly slow? crikey its good

[TheCrazyCello]

It is a pretty good tempo. If anything it's still slightly slow, although it's hard to retain the precision and clarity any faster than this on modern instruments. Already the strings sound a little woolly in places. With period instruments it's a different story altogether...

[kyleclef]

i think this is exactly how it should be played! bravo!

[pinkpiecharm14]

that is wicked fast.

[qwosters]

that's a quite good choice of tempo

[indigoblue555]

Clearly the Queen of Sheba had no time to waste....

[chemicalbrothers25]

sorry i liked your comment but i confused the two buttons

[indigoblue555]

to chemicalbrothers25 -

no problem - I do so often mess up....

:):):)

[mmox727]

but i liked =)

[mmox727]

too fast

too fast

too fast...

[indigoblue555]

2,51 !!!

[mr00aznkid]

yes tempo is fresh

[ton166]

according to Beethoven, Handel was/is the greatest composer ever. I agree still

[deutschliebe]

the tempo's great!

[Jalapablo]

Handel never heard the Saint Matthew's Passion :)

[Jalapablo]

Sorry, I meant to say Beethoven never heard it.

[Seth225]

Actually, this is the correct tempo.

[natzjustlookinaround]

this song is giiving me a rough time rite now...i cant go that fast!! :(

[Infofan]

The faster tempo is likely for when the Queen of Sheba was younger, and could arrive somewhere more quickly...

;)

Seriously though, I wonder what tempo Handel preferred?

[PBSmithy]

2:07 - looks like Christopher Hitchens wearing a wig!

[kyleclef]

brilliant!!! couldn't be better, this is the one i've got cd, but i'm only just fast enough to play it on the violin...

[arngrei]

Perfect tempo, those slow ass ones give me a pain in the ass.

[tiarca]

absolutly perfect

perfect song, tempo, musicians...

[steviebboy69]

every body says too fast i agree but its kewl.

im sure i have a techno head banging vers of this somewhere.

pachelbells cannon is nice too

[overseaconanfan]

lol omg so fast x]

[jamie199104]

000000000000h tempo, lol

[BdolfVanNille]

too fast !!!

[rempor]

omg so fast

[samsung19940111toxic]

Never getting boring. Ever.

[Blarmoshlashkin]

I agree. It's a little fast. Still, it's a great piece.

[handelbaroque]

Nice played version but too fast.

[totallyamused]

Sacred Words from the Holy Bible about the Queen of Sheba...."SHE WAS BLACK AND SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL." The wealthiest woman on earth in her day.

[lottiebelottie]

I love this piece of music i had this (though played much more slowly) at my wedding!!