Handel Oratorio Esther original Hebrew libretto New York 02

Video clip of the mourning choir from the Oratorio Esther, from the NYC premiere 2002, at the 92nd Y performed by Oslo Baroque Soloists conducted by Shalev Ad-el

Category:

Music

Tags:

• handel
• oratorio
• esther
• hebrew
• new
• york
• oslo
• baroque
• soloists
• shalev
• ad-el

[santibarna]

Original Libretto??? Whaay you say original? as long as i know this libreto was made after Handel's Death..!!! What's mean for you Original?

[ThomasGross27]

Hello ! Take it easy. Original meant, its authentic from the baroque time. And actually it was NOT made after Handel's death, but shortly before it. Maybe he died BECAUSE of it?

[QuiglysMom]

Handel's original libretto was in English, and the piece was his first English oritorio. Handel never wrote a piece in Hebrew, and in my extensive studies of Handel both during my tenure with the Academy of Ancient Music, and as a professor of music history and an instructor historical performance/viola at both King's Cambridge and at the Royal Academy of music have I ever come across anything that even remotely suggested that Handel knew or set anything in Hebrew.

--Katherine Hart

[ThomasGross27]

That's correct. Handel didn't have anything to do with this libretto nor probably knew anything about it. Nobody claimed he did though. This libretto is an original 1759 libretto that was written based on Esther's english libretto, For this Oratorio, to be performed shortly after, in Hebrew, in Amsterdam.

[santibarna]

I don't think that handel died because the translation, only my be if he had to conduct the piece.. :) .. i take easy.. but I think that one should be more carefull using such concrete words as "original".. my be historical text was more suitable for the ocation.. any wy nice pice and is nice to heard this music in translacion.. I hope somebody makes a transltion into coreanish.. (just joking) :) kind regard

Pd: very nice performance

[QuiglysMom]

Many thanks, Thomas, for that very interesting clarification! There have been several people (myself included) who by the wording of the title thought you were trying to say that you were trying to say that the original libretto was in Hebrew. For my part, i appologize for assuming incorrectly. Handel died in 1759, and I'd like to know if this libretto had anything to do with the many homages payed to him in that year. Can you enlighten us further on this libretto?

[lorenemusique]

Esther and Mordechai would now be in heaven with God, and with the choir of angels with much much much better music but it would be interesting to know what they would think..

[Audiolink]

beautiful performance, though are you saying Handel originally wrote the music to a Hebrew libretto?

[Audiolink]

beautiful performance, though are you saying Handel originally wrote the music to a Hebrew libretto?

[parsonstreet]

Another Masterfull Handel Chorus. Great singing!