Solomon HWV 67

Solomon [1749] is among a series of masterful oratorios which Handel composed beginning in 1749. As with other Handel oratorios, although it does not refer to the political happenings, happenings of his day, this work does have a connection to his times in that Handel pays homage to a wise and religious ruler from antiquity – and in so doing, also to the golden era of England and its king, George II. With its splendidly colorful, finely balanced instrumentation, effective choral writing and virtuoso solos, Solomon displays the complete range and variety of Handel’s expressive capabilities. Following its premiere in 1749, in which the oratorio was drastically shortened, afurther performance took place six weeks prior to Handel’s death. The recording presents the complete masterpiece on 3 SACDs, without any deletions, as Handel conceived it. This sets it apart from several previous recordings which are either abridged or have altered the sequence of the work. Handel’s Solomon was recorded live in the Dresden Frauenkirche by the Handel scholar Nicholas Mc Gegan, with the Winchester Cathedral Boys Choir, the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen, as well as a highly polished ensemble of soloists, including the outstanding young altus, Tim Mead, who is outstanding on this recording.