Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien - George Frideric Handel: Belshazzar, Jephtha [6CDs] (2008)

The particular strength of the Teldec reissue is its splendid cast, all of whom are technically outstanding, invest their every word with meaning and make recitatives fully alive. The titlerole is in fact one of the smallest, but Tear makes a burly, headstrong king, who handles the scene of the writing on the wall with fine dramatic instinct… Palmer is immensely moving… Esswood, as Daniel, impresses by the beauty of his tone and his command of long phrases; Lehane's brilliantly exuberant ornamentation, apparently improvisatory, marks her as a natural mistress of the style…and van der Bilt shows a rich voice throughout… The Stockholm Chamber Choir is firm-toned and tidy.

— Gramophone Magazine

Performer:
Belshazzar:
Belshazzar - Robert Tear
Nitocris - Felicity Palmer
Cyrus - Maureen Lehane
Daniel - Paul Esswood
Gobrias - Peter van der Bilt
Arioch - Thomas Sunnegårdh
Messenger Staffan Sandlund
Stockholm Kammerkören
Concentus musicus Wien
Conductor - Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Jephtha:
Jephtha - Werner Hollweg
Zebul - Thomas Thomaschke
Storgè - Glenys Linos
Iphis - Elizabeth Gale
Hamor - Paul Esswood
Angel - Gabriele Sima
Mozart-Sängenknaben
Arnold Schoenberg Chor
Concentus musicus Wien
Conductor - Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Tracklist:
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Belshazzar, HWV 70
CD1:
01. Overture
02. Act 1 "Vain, fluctuating state" [Nitocris]
03. Act 1 "Thou, God most high" [Nitocris]
04. Act 1 "The fate of Babylon" [Nitocris] "Oh much belov'd" [Nitocris, Daniel]
05. Act 1 "Lament not thus" [Daniel]
06. Act 1 "Behold, by Persia's hero made" [Chorus]
07. Act 1 "Well may they laugh" [Gobrias, Cyrus] "Oh memory!" [Gobrias]
08. Act 1 "Oppress'd with never-ceasing grief" [Gobrias]
09. Act 1 "Dry those anavailing tears" [Cyrus]
10. Act 1 "Be comforted" [Cyrus] "Methought, as on the bank" [Cyrus] "Now tell me, Gobrias" [Cyrus, Gobrias]
11. Act 1 "Behold the monstrous human beast" [Gobrias]
12. Act 1 "Can you then think" "Great God! who, yet but darkly known" "My friends, be confident" [Cyrus]
13. Act 1 "All empires" [Chorus]
14. Act 1 "Oh sacred oracles" [Daniel]
15. Act 1 "Rejoice, my countrymen" "For long ago" "Thus saith the Lord" [Daniel]
16. Act 1 "Sing, oh ye heav'ns!" [Chorus]
CD2:
01. Act 1 "Let festal joy" [Belshazzar]
02. Act 1 "For you, my friends" [Belshazzar, Nitocris]
03. Act 1 "The leafy honours" [Nitocris]
04. Act 1 "It is the custom" [Belshazzar, Nitocris]
05. Act 1 "Recall, oh king!" [Chorus]
06. Act 1 "They tell you true" [Nitocris, Belshazzar]
07. Act 1 "Oh dearer than my life" [Nitocris, Belshazzar]
08. Act 1 "By slow degrees" [Chorus]
09. Act 2 "See from his post" "Why, faithless river" "Euphrates hath his task" "Of things on earth" [Chorus]
10. Act 2 "You see, my friends" "Amaz'd to find the foe so near" [Cyrus]
11. Act 2 "To arms, to arms!" [Chorus]
12. Act 2 "Ye tutelar gods" [Chorus]
13. Act 2 "Let the deep bowl" [Belshazzar] "Where is the God" [Chorus] "Help, help the king!" [Chorus, Belshazzar] "Call all my wise men" [Belshazzar]
14. Act 2 "Ye sages!" [Belshazzar] "Alas! too hard a task" [Chorus]
15. Act 2 "Oh misery!" [Chorus]
CD3:
01. Act 2 "Oh king" [Nitocris] "Art thou that Daniel" [Belshazzar]
02. Act 2 "No! to thyself" [Daniel] "Yet to obey" [Daniel] "Though, o king" [Daniel] "Oh sentence too severe!" [Nitocris]
03. Act 2 "Regard, oh son" [Nitocris]
04. Act 2 "Oh God of Truth!" "You, Gobrias, lead directly to the palace" [Cyrus]
05. Act 2 "Oh glorious prince!" [Chorus]
06. Act 3 "Alternate hopes and fears" [Nitocris]
07. Act 3 "Fain would I hope" [Nitocris, Daniel] "Can the black Aethiop change his skin?" [Daniel]
08. Act 3 "My hopes revive" [Nitocris, Arioch, Messenger]
09. Act 3 "Bel boweth down" [Chorus]
10. Act 3 "I thank thee, Sesach" [Belshazzar] A Marital Symphony
11. Act 3 "To pow'r immortal" [Gobrias]
12. Act 3 "Be it thy care" "Destructive War" [Cyrus]
13. Act 3 "Great Victor" [Nitocris, Cyrus]
14. Act 3 "Say, venerable prophet" [Cyrus, Daniel]
15. Act 3 "Tell it out" [Chorus] "Yes, I will build the city" [Cyrus]
16. Act 3 "I will magnify thee" [Chorus, Belshazzar, Nitocris, Cyrus, Daniel, Gobrias, Arioch, Messenger]

Jephtha, HWV 70
CD4:
01. Overture - Menuet
02.Act 1 "It must be so - or these vile Ammonites" "Pour forth no more unheeded pray'rs" [Zebul]
03. Act 1 "No more to Ammon's god and king" [Chorus]
04. Act 1 "But Jephtha comes" [Zebul, Jephtha] "Virtue my soul shall still embrace" [Jephtha]
05. Act 1 "'Twill be a painful separation, Jephtha" "In gentle murmurs will I mourn" [Storgè]
06. Act 1 "Happy this embassy, my charming Iphis" "Dull delay, in piercing anguish" [Hamor]
07. Act 1 "Ill suits the voice of love when glory calls" "Take the heart you fondly gave" [Iphis]
08. Act 1 "I go; my soul, inspir'd by thy command" [Hamor] "These labours past, how happy we!" [Iphis]
09. Act 1 "What mean these doubtful fancies" "If, Lord, susain'd" "'Tis said" [Jephtha]
10. Act 1 "O God, behold our sore distress" [Chorus]
11. Act 1 "Some dire event hangs o'er our heads" "Scenes of horror, scenes of woe" [Storgè]
12. Act 1 "Say, my dear mother" [Iphis, Storgè] "The smiling dawn of happy days" [Iphis]
13. Act 1 "Such, Jephtha, was the haughty king's reply" [Zebul, Jephtha]
14. Act 1 "When his loud voice in thunder spoke" [Chorus]
CD5:
01. Act 2 "Glad tidings of great joy to thee, dear Iphis" [Hamor]
02. Act 2 "Cherub and Seraphim, unbodied forms" [Chorus]
03. Act 2 "Up the dreadful steep ascending" [Hamor]
04. Act 2 "'Tis well. Haste, haste, ye maidens" "Tune the soft melodious lute" [Iphis]
05. Act 2 "Again Heav'n smiles on his repentant people" "Freedom now once more possessing" [Zebul]
06. Act 2 "Zebul, thy deeds were valiant" "His mighty arm, with sudden blow" [Jephtha]
07. Act 2 "In glory high, in might serene" [Chorus]
08. Act 2 Symphony
09. Act 2 "Hail, glorious conqueror!" "Welcome as the cheerful light" [Iphis, Chorus]
10. Act 2 "Horror! confusion!" "Open thy marble jaws, O tomb" [Jephtha]
11. Act 2 "Why is my brother thus afflicted" [Zebul, Jephtha]
12. Act 2 "First perish thou, and perish all the world!… Let other creatures die" [Storgè]
13. Act 2 "If such thy cruel purpose" "On me let blind mistaken zeal" [Hamor]
14. Act 2 "O spare your daughter!" [Zebul, Storgè, Hamor, Jephtha]
15. Act 2 "Such news fly swift" "Happy they! this vital breath" [Iphis]
16. Act 2 "Deeper and deeper still" [Jephtha]
17. Act 2 "How dark, O Lord, are Thy decrees!" [Chorus]
CD6:
01. Act 3 "Hide thou thy hated beams, O sun" "A father, offering up" "Waft her, angels, through the skies" [Jephtha]
02. Act 3 "Ye sacred priests" "Farewell, ye limpid springs and floods" [Iphis]
03. Act 3 "Doubtful fear and rev'rent awe" [Chorus]
04. Act 3 "And they determin'd will declare" Symphony [Chorus]
05. Act 3 "Rise, Jephtha, and ye rev'rend priests" "Happy, Iphis, shalt thou live" [Angel]
06. Act 3 "For ever blessed be thy holy name" [Jephtha]
07. Act 3 "Theme sublime of endless praise" [Chorus]
08. Act 3 "Let me congratulate this happy turn" "Laud her, all ye virgin train" [Zebul]
09. Act 3 "O let me fold thee in a mother's arms" "Sweet as sight to the blind" [Storgè]
10. Act 3 "With transport, Iphis, I behold thy safety" "'Tis Heaven's all-ruling pow'r" [Hamor]
11. Act 3 "My faithful Hamor, may that Providence" "Freely I to Heaven resign" [Iphis]
12. Act 3 "Ye house of Gilead, with one voice" [Chorus]