Händel Saul

With Elizabeth Gale, Helmut Wildhaber, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Paul Esswood, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Julia Varady & Matthias Hölle

CD 1
1. Sinfonia
2. Chorus: How excellent thy name, oh Lord (act 1)
3. An infant raised by thy command (Arie)
4. Terzetto: Along the monster atheist strode
5. Chorus: The youth inspir’d by Thee, Oh Lord – How excellent thy name, oh Lord
6. Rezitative & aria: He comes – Oh god-like youth!
7. Rezitative & aria: Behold, oh King, the brave, victorious youth – Oh King, your favours with delight
8. Rezitative: Oh early piety!
9. Aria & rezitative: What abject thoughts a prince can have – Yet think, on whom this honour you bestow
10. Aria, rezitative & aria: Birth and fortune I despise! – Go on, illustrious pair! – While yet thy tide
11. Rezitative & aria: Thou, Merab, first in birth – My soul rejects the thought with scorn
12. Aria: See, with what a scornful air – Ah! Lovely youth!
13. Sinfonia
14. Rezitative: Already see
15. Chorus: Welcome, welcome, mighty king!
16. Accompagnato, chorus & aria: What do I hear? – David his ten thousand slew – With rage I shall burst
17. Rezitative & aria: Imprudent women! – Fell rage and black despair posess’d

18. Rezitative: Rack’d with infernal pains
19. Aria: Oh Lord, whose mercies numberless
20. Rezitative: This is all in vain
21. Aria & rezitative: A serpent, in my bosom warm’d – Has he escap’d my rage?
22. Capricious man (Aria)
23. Accompagnato & aria: O filial piety! – No, cruel father, no!
24. Chorus: Preserve him for the glory of thy name
25. Chorus: Envy! Eldest born of hell! (act 2)
26. Rezitative & aria: Ah! Dearest friend – But sooner Jordan’s stream, I swear
27. Rezitative & aria: Hast thou obeyed my orders – Sin not, oh King, against the youth
28. As great Jehovah lives (Aria)
29. From cities stormed and battles won (Aria)

CD 2
1. Rezitative: Appear, my friend
2. Aria: Your words, oh King
3. Rezitative: Yes, he shall wed my daughter!
4. Rezitative: A father’s will
5. Duetto: Oh fairest of ten thousand fair
6. Chorus: Is there a man
7. Concerto
8. Rezitative & duetto: Thy father is cruel – At persecution I can laugh
9. Rezitative & aria: Whom dost thou seek? – No, no, let the guilty tremble
10. Rezitative & aria: Mean as he was – Author of peace
11. Sinfonia
12. Accompagnato: The time at lenght is come
13. Rezitative: Where is the son of Jesse?
14. Chorus: Oh fatal consequence of rage
15. Accompagnato: Wretch that I am! – This said, here lives a woman (act 3)
16. Rezitative & aria: With me what wouldst thou? – Infernal spirits
17. Accompagnato: Why hast thou forced me
18. Sinfonia
19. Rezitative & aria: Whence comst thou? – Impious wretch, of race accurst!
20. Dead march
21. Chorus: Mourn, Israel
22. Aria: Oh let it not in Gath be heard – From this unhappy day
23. Chorus: Eagles were not so swift as they
24. In sweetest harmony – O fatal day! (Aria & chorus)
25. Rezitative: Ye men of Judah, weep no more!
26. Chorus: Gird on thy sword