Christopher Purves (Saul), Sarah Connolly (David), Robert Murray (Jonathan), Elizabeth Atherton (Merab), Joélle Harvey (Michal), Mark Dobell (High Priest), Jeremy Budd (Witch of Endor) & Stuart Young (Ghost of Samuel)
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Renowned for their Handel interpretations, Harry Christophers and his award winning choir, The Sixteen, add to their glittering catalogue of Handel discs with this new recording of Saul.
In his biblical oratorio, Saul, Handel wrote an epic work of great and noble drama and of thrilling musical inventiveness. Saul represents Handel’s first proper foray into oratorio and it is a masterpiece full of great and magical moments. It is bursting with exceptional music, extraordinary orchestration (replete with trombones, deepsounding drum and perky carillon), extended choruses both profound and ebullient, symphonies, concerto movements for organ, recitatives which explore the varying moods of the characters, and the most stunning arias.
In Saul Handel gifted soloists with roles of vivid characterisation and the artists on this disc are some of the finest Handelian interpreters of today including Christopher Purves - a baritone whose talent for dramatic realisation is matched by superb musical craftsmanship - and Sarah Connolly - whose intensely radiant performance of David on this CD confirms her status as one of our most sought-after Handel performers.
Both Christopher and Sarah sang with The Sixteen at the start of their careers, and Sarah released her first solo album Heroes and Heroines on CORO, and so it is with great pride that we welcome them back for this recording. Robert Murray, Elizabeth Atherton and Joélle Harvey along with Sixteen regulars, Mark Dobell, Jeremy Budd and Stuart Young, complete the stellar line-up of soloists on this new recording.
Handel: Saul
Act 1, Overture
Act I, Scene I, "How Excellent Thy Name", (Chorus Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene I, Air. "An Infant Rais'd", (Merah)
Act I, Scene I, "Along The Monster" (Chorus)
Act I, Scene I, "The Youth Inspired" (Chorus Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene I, "How Excellent Thy Name" (Chours Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene I, "Hallelujah!" (Chorus Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene II, Recitive. "He Comes, He Comes!" (Michal)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "O Godlike Youth" (Michal)
Act I, Scene II, Recitative. "Behold, O King" (Abner, Saul, David)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "O King, Your Favours" (David)
Act I, Scene II, Recitative "Oh Early Piety!" (Jonathan)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "What Abject Thoughts" (Merab)
Act I, Scene II, Recitative. "Yet Think On Whom This Honor" (Merab)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "Birth And Fortune I Despise!" (Jonathan)
Act I, Scene II, Recitative. "Go On, Illustrious Pair!" (High Priest)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "While Yet Thy Tide" (High Priest)
Act I, Scene II, Recitative. "Thou, Merab, First In Birth" (Saul, Merab)
Act I, Scene II, Air. "My Soul Rejects" (Merab, Michal)
Act I, Scene II, Sinfonia
Act I, Scene III, Recitative. "Already See The Daughters" (Michal)
Act I, Scene III, "Welcome, Welcome, Mighty King!" (Chorus Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene III, Accompagnato. "What Do I Hear?" (Saul)
Act I, Scene III, "David His Ten Thousand Slew" (Chorus Of Israelites)
Act I, Scene III, Accompagnato. "To Him Ten Thousands" (Saul)
Act I, Scene III, Air. "With Rage I Shall Burst" (Saul)
Act I, Scene IV, Recitative. "Imprudent Women!" (Johnathan, Michal)
Act I, Scene IV, Air. "Fell Rage And Black Despair" (Michal)
Act I, Scene V, Recitative. "Racked With Infernal Pains" (Abner)
Act I, Scene V, Air. "Oh Lord Whose Mercies" (David)
Act I, Scene V, Symphony (Harp)
Act I, Scene V, Recitative. "'Tis All In Vain" (Jonathan)
Act I, Scene V, Air. "A Serpent, In My Bosom Warm'd" (Saul)
Act I, Scene V, Recitative. "Has He Escap'd My Rage?" (Saul)
Act I, Scene V, Air. "Capricious Man" (Mehab)
Act I, Scene VI, Accompagnato. "O Filial Piety!" (Jonathan)
Act I, Scene VI, Air. "No, Cruel Father, No!" (Jonathan)
Act I, Scene VI, Air. "O Lord, Whose Providence" (High Priest)
Act I, Scene VI, "Preserve Him For The Glory" (High Priest)
Act II, Scene I, "Envy, Eldest Born of Hell" (Chorus)
Act II, Scene II, Recitative. "Ah, Dearest Friend" (Jonathan)
Act II, Scene II, Air. "But Sooner Jordan's Stream" (Jonathan)
Act II, Scene II, Recitative. "Oh, Strange Vicissitude!" (David, Jonathan)
Act II, Scene II, Air. "Such Haughty Beauties Rather Move" (David)
Act II, Scene II, Recitative. "My Father Comes" (Jonathan)
Act II, Scene III, Air. "Sin Not, O King, Against the Youth" (Jonathan)
Act II, Scene III, Air. "As Great Jehovah Lives, I Swear" (Saul)
Act II, Scene III, Air. "From Cities Stormed, And Battles Won" (Jonathan)
Act II, Scene IV, Recitative. "Appear, My Friend" (Jonathan, Saul)
Act II, Scene IV, Air. "Your Words, O King, My Loyal Heart" (David)
Act II, Scene IV, Recitative. "Yes, He Shall Wed My Daughter!" (Saul)
Act II, Scene V, Duet. "O Fairest of Then Thousand Fair" (Michal, David)
Act II, Scene V, "Is There a Man, Who All His Ways" (Chorus)
Act II, Scene V, Sinfonia
Act II, Scene VI, Recitative. "Thy Father Is As Cruel" (David)
Act II, Scene VI, Duet. "At Persecution I Can Laugh" (David, Michal)
Act II, Scene VII, Recitative. "Whom Dost Thou Seek?" (Michal, Doeg)
Act II, Scene VII, Air. "No, No, Let the Guitly Tremble" (Michal)
Act II, Scene VIII, Recitative. "Mean As He Was, He Is My New Brother" (Merab)
Act II, Scene VIII, Air. "Author Of Peace" (Merab)
Act, II, Scene IX, Saul at the Feast of the New Moon. (Symphony)
Act, II, Scene IX, Saul at the Feast of the New Moon. Accompagnato. "The Time At Length Is Come" (Saul)
Act II, Scene X, Recitative. "Where Is the Son of Jesse?" (Saul, Jonathan)
Act II, Scene X, "Oh Fatal Consequence" (Chorus)
Act III, Scene I - Saul Disguised, At Endor: Accompagnato. "Wretch That I Am, Of My Own Ruin Author!" (Saul)
Act III, Scene I - Saul Disguised, At Endor: Accompagnato. "'Tis Said, Here Lives A Woman" (Saul)
Act III, Scene II - Saul And The Witch Of Endor: Recitative. "With Me What Would'st Thou?" (Witch, Saul)
Act III, Scene II - Saul And The Witch Of Endor: Air. "Infernal Spirits, By Whose Pow'r" (Witch)
Act III, Scene III - Apparition Of Samuel: Accompagnao. "Why Hast Thou Forc'd Me From The Realms Of Peace?" (Samuel, Saul)
Act III, Scene III - Appartition Of Samuel: Sinfonia
Act III, Scene IV, Recitative. "Whence Comest Thou?" (David, Amalekite)
Act III, Scene IV, Air. "Impious Wretch, Of Race Accurst!" (David)
Act III, Scene IV, Dead March (Symphony)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: "Mourn, Israel, Mourn Thy Beauty Lost" (Chours)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Accompagnato "Oh, Let It Not In Gath Be Heard" (High Priest)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Air. "From This Unhappy Day" (Merab)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Air. "Brave Jonathan Hi Bow Never Drew" (David)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Chorus."Eagles Were Not So Swift As They..." (Israelites)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Air. "In Sweetest Harmony They Lived" (Michal)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Solo/Chorus. "Oh Fatal Day!" (David, Israelites)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Recitative. "Ye Men Of Judah, Weep No More!" (High Priest)
Act III, Scene V - Elegy On The Death Of Saul And Jonathan: Chorus. "Gird On Thy Sword, Thou Man Of Might" (Israelites)
Harry Christophers discusses new Saul recording by The Sixteen
Members of The Sixteen discuss their roles
Christmas 2012
****
“the choruses are always beautifully contoured, as is the incisive playing of The Sixteen's house band. Christopher Purves and Sarah Connolly all but steal the show: Purves's splenetic Saul is a satisfyingly multi-layered creation...Connolly's 'O Lord, whose mercies' proves a spellbinding vindication of casting a sophisticated velvety mezzo”
October 2012
“[Christophers's] ever-sure handling of choruses, sensitivity to the needs of solo singers and affinity for the orchestral grandeur or Handel's most elaborate score mark him out as an honest, natural Handelian conductor...Purves charms, broods, fumes implacably, plots villainously and confronts his doom vividly in the manner of a Shakespearean tragedian...The Sixteen's first-class account of Saul is magnificent in every way that matters most.”
October 2012
“Christophers is, on the whole, a lively and mainstream Handelian...The set is worth having for Connolly's singing of [David's] aria alone...Purves's volatile Saul strikes me, too, as a prime asset...none of his colleagues in the older sets suggests the gradual slide into paranoia and derangement as Purves does here. His text is immaculate, his coloratura clean and precise, never blustery.”
16th September 2012
“Christopher Purves gives vent to Saul’s paranoia with trenchant diction and fulminating delivery of Handel’s angry coloratura. Sarah Connolly’s David is the other star, unusually but apparently authentically cast in a role once thought to have been written for a countertenor.”
7th September 2012
****
“With his acting chops and weighty bass-baritone, Purves in full cry is a splendid and fearful spectacle. But balm is at hand from Sarah Connolly’s David...She’s at her peak singing O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless in Act I, channelling her eloquence through the words rather than any elaborately beautified tone...Buy with confidence.”
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Act 1, Overture
