Joshua (Handel)

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Joshua ( HWV 64) is an oratorio in three parts by Georg Friedrich Handel .

Emergence

Handel began the composition on July 19, 1747, around two weeks after the completion of the Alexander Baloos . He completed the first part on July 30th, the second on August 8th, and the third on August 18th.

The premiere took place on March 9, 1748 at the Theater Royal in Covent Garden . For this performance, a new concert was announced as inter-act music, probably the Concerto a due cori in B flat major (HWV 332). The oratorio soon became Handel's most successful and was repeated in 1752 and 1754. There were also other performances in Salisbury in 1754 and in Oxford in 1756 .

libretto

The librettist is suspected to be Thomas Morell , who provided the texts for Handel's previous oratorios Judas Maccabaeus and Alexander Balus . The libretto is based on the book of Joshua (Jos 1-11 and Jos 14-15).

people

The cast was sung by the following singers at the world premiere:

action

first act

The Israelites give thanks for conquering Canaan . Caleb flatters Joshua's courage and wisdom. Achsa tunes in more contemplative tones and reminds of the bondage in Egypt. Joshua orders Caleb to erect a memorial to the escape through the Red Sea for future generations in Gilgal . An angel appears and orders Jericho to be conquered and the tyrannical king to be killed with the idolaters.

Othniel and Achsa enjoy the promised land and express their love for one another. Finally the trumpet calls for war.

Second act

On the seventh day of the siege of Jericho, Joshua had the ark of the covenant carried around the city. Then the city is finally conquered, palaces and temples set on fire. The Israelites thanked again and celebrated Passover .

But luck does not last: a troop that was supposed to conquer Ais underestimated the opposing strength and was defeated by the victories. The Israelites mourn, but Joshua stirs them up again. Othniel wants to take a break from the war and fool around with Achsa. When Caleb discovers this, he is angry and reminds Othniel that Israel has to fulfill an alliance with Gibeon , which is threatened by King Adoni-Zedeck of Jerusalem. To be able to continue the battle into the evening, Joshua tells the sun to stand still over Gibeon.

Third act

The Israelites praise Joshua, who is now gathering the heads of Israel to divide the conquered land. Caleb claims Hebron and receives it. He promises his daughter's hand to those who will conquer the city of Debir. Othniel fulfills the assignment and is received as a hero. After receiving his reward, he and Achsa extol each other's virtues. The oratorio closes with a hymn of praise to Jehovah .

literature

  • Winton Dean : Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques . Clarendon, Oxford 1989, ISBN 0-19-816184-0 , (Original edition: Oxford University Press, Oxford 1959).
  • Hans Joachim Marx : Handel's oratorios, odes and serenatas. A compendium. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1998, ISBN 3-525-27815-2 .
  • Albert Scheibler, Julia Evdokimova: Georg Friedrich Händel. Oratorios guides . Edition Cologne, Lohmar 1993, ISBN 3-928010-04-2 .

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