Saul (Handel)

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Saul ( HWV 53) is an oratorio in three acts by Georg Friedrich Handel .

Emergence

Handel composed the first act from July 23 to August 1, 1738 and completed the second on August 8. He orchestrated the existing material until the end of the month and then turned temporarily to the opera Imeneo . After he had finished this, he went back to the composition of Saul on September 19th and finished it on September 27th. The premiere took place on January 16, 1739 at the King's Theater on Haymarket in London .

This is the first example of Handel's collaboration with the librettist Charles Jennens , a wealthy landowner and art lover, who later also compiled the text for the Messiah and other Handel oratorios. In his career in London so far, Handel had composed mainly examples of the Italian opera seria , which consisted exclusively of recitatives and arias for star singers. The oratorios gave Handel the opportunity to combine English opera arias for the soloists with large choirs that he had already used in his Coronation Anthems .

libretto

The libretto by Charles Jennens is based on the books of Samuel ( 1 Sam 18-20, 28, 31 ; 2 Sam 1 ). There are also ideas from Davideis by Abraham Cowley and the tragedy The Tragedy of King Saul by Roger Boyle . For the biblical models of the characters, see Saul and David .

people

role Pitch Cast of the premiere
Saul , King of Israel bass Gustavus Waltz
David Countertenor Mr. Russell
Jonathan , son of Saul tenor John Beard
Michal , daughter of Saul soprano Elisabeth Duparc , called "La Francesina"
Merab, daughter of Saul soprano Cecilia Young -Arne
High priest tenor Mr. Kelly
Witch of endor Old probably Maria Antonia Marchesini , called "La Lucchesina"
Spirit of Samuel bass Mr. Hussey
Doëg, servant of Saul bass Mr. Butler
An Amalekite tenor Mr. Stoppelaer
Choir of the Israelites

action

first act

The oratorio begins with a triumphal chant by the Israelites for the victory over the Philistines in which David defeated Goliath.

David moves in with the giant's head in hand and is introduced to King Saul. Saul wants to give him one of his daughters as a token of his favor, but David is humble and points out that the praise is due to God. Saul's daughter Merab is haughty towards the low birth of David, but his son Jonathan gives nothing about his ancestry and befriends the virtuous David. A high priest agrees that one should hang one's heart only on things of real worth and dedicate one's life to God. Saul turns to Merab to give her to David as a wife, but she is angry that such a connection violates the barriers of class. Her sister Michal thinks she doesn't deserve the youth at all.

The choir praises Saul and David. Saul is indignant that the praise places David higher than him.

Jonathan has noticed how Saul is upset by the inappropriate comparison. Michal asks David to play the king on the harp and thereby appease him. It celebrates the power of music.

But Saul's jealousy grows so high that he throws a spear at David. When he escapes, he orders Jonathan to destroy the "upstart".

Jonathan, otherwise obedient to his father, defies the command and wants to defend his friend, the godlike David. A high priest asks God to protect David and is assisted by a choir at the end.

Second act

The choir condemns envy as the firstborn of hell.

Jonathan reports to David about his father's command and assures him of his loyalty. Meanwhile, Saul Merab is engaged to Adriel. David replies that Merab's arrogance repels him and that he prefers Michal. When Saul approaches, David hides.

Saul asks Jonathan how his order is being carried out. Jonathan reminds him of David's devotion and loyalty and appeals not to sin against him. Saul gives in and offers that David can return to the royal court.

David emerges again and is again entrusted with command of the war against the Philistines. Saul also offers him marriage to Michal. When Saul is alone again, it turns out that he has only faked his understanding and hopes that David will fall in the war.

Michal and David express their love for each other.

When David appears unharmed before Saul's eyes after the battle, Saul is furious and throws a spear at him again. Michal helps him escape.

When a messenger is supposed to get Saul's David, Michal pretends that he is sick. The messenger gains access to the bedchamber and finds only one doll. Michal sees himself innocent and has no fear.

The previously envious Merab now has sympathy and pity for her brother-in-law. She hopes that Jonathan can avert the impending disaster.

On the New Moon Festival, Saul resolves David's death.

When David does not appear, Saul reproaches his son Jonathan for protecting him. He's even throwing a spear at him. The chorus commented that Saul's atrocities would find no bar until he self-destructed.

Third act

Saul suspects that because of his disobedience, God has left him. In disguise he goes to the witch of Endor.

Saul tells the witch to make the prophet Samuel appear to him.

When he asks the spirit Samuel for advice, he tells him that his prophecy has come true: because Saul had spared the Amalekites, God snatched the kingdom from him and handed it over to David. The next day Saul would perish with his sons and Israel would lose the battle.

After the battle, an Amalekite from the camp of Israel came to David and reported Saul and Jonathan's deaths. Saul threw himself unsuccessfully into his spear in a hopeless situation, whereupon the Amalekite kills him. David has the messenger executed for killing the Lord's anointed.

The choir and soloists mourn those who died in battle. The high priest proclaims David as the new king. The choir of the Israelites wants to submit to his rule.

Funeral march

The funeral march from the third act of "Saul" achieved worldwide fame. He was played at the funerals of Winston Churchill , George Washington, and the funeral of the murdered Abraham Lincoln . In Germany, this is the standard funeral march of the Bundeswehr , which is played at state funerals , such as Richard von Weizsäcker's state funeral on February 11, 2015.

literature

  • Winton Dean : Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques . Clarendon, Oxford 1989, ISBN 0-19-816184-0 , (Original edition: Oxford University Press, Oxford 1959), (English).
  • Anthony Hicks: Handel, Jennens and Saul. Aspects of a collaboration . In: Nigel Fortune (Ed.): Music and theater. Essays in honor of Winton Dean . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1987, ISBN 0-521-32348-7 , pp. 203-227.
  • 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 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Chandler (ed.): The Oxford History of the British Army . Oxford University Press, USA, 2003, ISBN 978-0-19-280311-5 , p. 345.