The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Last updated

"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba", also known as "The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba" and "The Entry of the Queen of Sheba", is the sinfonia that opens George Frideric Handel's 1749 oratorio Solomon . It is marked allegro and scored for two oboes and strings. It is now usually performed separately as a concert piece, and as such has become one of Handel's most famous works.

Contents

Description

"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is one of two instrumental movements [1] in Solomon, an oratorio by George Frideric Handel written in May and June 1748 and premiered on 17 March 1749. Scored for two oboes, strings and continuo, [2] it is the sinfonia which opens Act III, the only act in which Sheba appears, [3] and it depicts the bustling preparations for her arrival rather than that entry itself. [4] It is marked allegro, [5] and features lively violin passages and contrasting solos from the two oboes. [6] Its modern title was apparently bestowed on it by Sir Thomas Beecham; [7] certainly, Handel did not use that title, [4] the surviving wordbook simply calling it "Sinfony". [8]

Sources

Handel's contemporary William Boyce said that he "takes other men's pebbles, and polishes them into diamonds"; "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is considered a notable example of this accomplishment. [9] It incorporates music taken from the allegro of a concerto in Telemann's Tafelmusik , and from a keyboard gigue by Georg Muffat. [10] The main theme, however, came originally from the ritornello of an aria in Giovanni Porta's opera Numitore. Handel adapted this first for a trio for two clarinets and corno da caccia , then as a sinfonia probably intended for some other work now unknown, improving the rhythm of the piece each time. [4] The completed sinfonia seems to have found its final place in Solomon at a late stage in that work's gestation. [8]

Reception

Though Solomon as a whole is today rarely performed, "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" has been a very popular piece through the 20th and 21st centuries, being, for example, frequently played at wedding ceremonies. [11] It was first recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1933, [12] and was often programmed by him as a concert piece. [13] It made a very prominent appearance in the 2012, being played during the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games, [11] and another in 2023 as part of the coronation service of Charles III. [14] Today it is one of Handel's best-known compositions. [9]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Snape, John (2019). "Constitution: Handel's Solomon and the Constitution at Covent Garden". In Probert, Rebecca; Snape, John (eds.). A Cultural History of Law in the Age of Enlightenment. Cultural History of Law, 4. London: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 45. ISBN   9781474212656 . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  2. ↑ Rodda, Richard E. (2021). "Sublime Schubert – May 29, 2021. Program Notes" (PDF). Miller Symphony Hall. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ↑ Lang, Paul Henry (1967). George Frideric Handel. New York: W. W. Norton. p. 471. ISBN   978-0-486-14459-7 . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Dean 1959, p. 523.
  5. ↑ Handel, G. F. "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Sinfonia from the opera Solomon" (PDF). IMSLP Petrucci Music Library. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  6. ↑ "Entrance of the Queen of Sheba". The Broadway Bach Ensemble. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  7. ↑ Tonkin, Boyd (20 August 2022). "Prom 43, Solomon, The English Concert, Jeannin review - a Handelian box of delights". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 Hurley 2001, p. 171.
  9. 1 2 Blakeman 2009, p. 55.
  10. ↑ Hogwood, Christopher (2005). Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 57. ISBN   9780521836364 . Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  11. 1 2 Schwarm n.d.
  12. ↑ Gray, Michael H. (1979). Beecham: A Centenary Discography. London: Duckworth. p. 21. ISBN   0715613928 . Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  13. ↑ Blackwood, Alan (1994). Sir Thomas Beecham: The Man and the Music. London: Ebury. p. 107. ISBN   0091784344 . Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Coronation Service" (PDF). The Royal Family. p. 8. Retrieved 5 December 2024.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Frideric Handel</span> German-British Baroque composer (1685–1759)

George FridericHandel was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition and by composers of the Italian Baroque. In turn, Handel's music forms one of the peaks of the "high baroque" style, bringing Italian opera to its highest development, creating the genres of English oratorio and organ concerto, and introducing a new style into English church music. He is consistently recognized as one of the greatest composers of his age.

<i>Messiah</i> (Handel) 1741 sacred oratorio by Handel

Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

<i>Music for the Royal Fireworks</i> Suite for wind instruments by Handel

The Music for the Royal Fireworks is a suite in D major for wind instruments composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. The music celebrates the end of the War of the Austrian Succession and the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) in 1748. The work was very popular when first performed and following Handel's death.

<i>Berenice</i> (opera) 1737 opera by George Frideric Handel

Berenice is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to a 1709 Antonio Salvi libretto, Berenice, regina d'Egitto, or Berenice, Queen of Egypt. Handel began the music in December 1736; the premiere took place at Covent Garden Theatre in London on 18 May 1737 — but was unsuccessful, with just three further performances. Set circa 81 B.C., Berenice traces the life of Berenice III of Egypt, daughter of Ptolemy IX, the main character in another Handel opera, Tolomeo.

<i>Theodora</i> (Handel) 1750 oratorio/opera by Handel

Theodora is a dramatic oratorio in three acts by George Frideric Handel, set to an English libretto by Thomas Morell. The oratorio concerns the Christian martyr Theodora and her Christian-converted Roman lover, Didymus. It had its first performance at Covent Garden Theatre on 16 March 1750. Not popular with audiences in Handel's day, Theodora is now recognised as a masterpiece. It is usually given in concert, being an oratorio, but is sometimes staged.

<i>Saul</i> (Handel) Oratorio by George Handel and Charles Jennens

Saul is a dramatic oratorio in three acts written by George Frideric Handel with a libretto by Charles Jennens. Taken from the First Book of Samuel, the story of Saul focuses on the first king of Israel's relationship with his eventual successor, David—one which turns from admiration to envy and hatred, ultimately leading to the downfall of the eponymous monarch. The work, which Handel composed in 1738, includes the famous "Dead March", a funeral anthem for Saul and his son Jonathan following their deaths in the Battle of Mount Gilboa at the hands of the Philistines, and some of the composer's most dramatic choral pieces. Saul premiered successfully at the King's Theatre in London on 16 January 1739, and was revived by Handel in subsequent seasons.

<i>Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline</i>

The Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264, is an anthem by George Frideric Handel. It was composed and first performed for the funeral of Caroline of Ansbach at Westminster Abbey on 17 December 1737. Handel slightly re-worked the anthem and used it for the opening section of his oratorio Israel in Egypt in 1739. The theme of the first chorus was taken by Mozart as the theme for the Requiem aeternam movement of his Requiem Mass. The anthem is approximately forty minutes in length.

<i>Solomon</i> (Handel) Oratorio by George Frideric Handel

Solomon, HWV 67, is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel. The anonymous libretto – currently thought to have been penned by the English Jewish poet/playwright Moses Mendes (d.1758) – is based on the biblical stories of the wise king Solomon from the First Book of Kings and the Second Book of Chronicles, with additional material from Antiquities of the Jews by ancient historian Flavius Josephus. The music was composed between 5 May and 13 June 1748, and the first performance took place on 17 March 1749, with Caterina Galli in the title role at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, where it had two further performances. Handel revived the work in 1759.

A coronation anthem is a piece of choral music to accompany the crowning of a monarch. Many composers have written such works. Being anthems, they are not hymns but textured motets requiring a trained choir.

Susan Gritton is an English operatic soprano. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss.

Events from the year 1749 in Great Britain.

Fitzwilliam Sonatas is the name first given by Thurston Dart to an arrangement he made, based on two recorder sonatas by George Frideric Handel, which he recast as a group of three sonatas. The term was applied by later editors to the original two sonatas as Handel wrote them, and was also expanded to encompass several other sonatas for various instruments included in the Handel autograph manuscripts held by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organ concertos, Op. 4 (Handel)</span>

The Handel organ concertos, Op. 4, HWV 289–294, are six organ concertos for chamber organ and orchestra composed by George Frideric Handel in London between 1735 and 1736 and published in 1738 by the printing company of John Walsh. Written as interludes in performances of oratorios in Covent Garden, they were the first works of their kind for this combination of instruments and served as a model for later composers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oboe Concerto No. 3 (Handel)</span> 1704-1705 composition by George Frideric Handel

The Oboe Concerto No. 3 in G minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for oboe, orchestra and basso continuo, possibly in 1704-1705, when he was still in Hamburg. It was first published in Leipzig in 1863 in which it was described as a work from 1703. No other source for the work is known. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxi, 100; and HHA iv/12,3.

The Oboe Concerto No. 2 in B flat major was composed by George Frideric Handel for oboe, orchestra and basso continuo. It was first published in the fourth volume of Select Harmony by Walsh in 1740. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxi, 91; and HHA iv/12,47.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concerti grossi, Op. 3 (Handel)</span> Compositions by George Frideric Handel

The Concerti grossi, Op. 3, HWV 312–317, are six concerti grossi by George Frideric Handel compiled into a set and published by John Walsh in 1734. Musicologists now agree that Handel had no initial knowledge of the publishing. Instead, Walsh, seeking to take advantage of the commercial success of Corelli's Concerti grossi, Op. 6, simply combined several of Handel's already existing works and grouped them into six "concertos".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandos Jubilate</span> Anthem by George Frideric Handel

Chandos Jubilate, HWV246, is a common name for a choral composition by George Frideric Handel. It was published as the first of the Chandos Anthems, and is known also as Chandos Anthem No. 1 and as Jubilate in D Major. A setting of Psalm 100, "O, be joyful in the Lord", it is the first in a series of church anthems that Handel composed between 1717 and 1718, when he was composer in residence to James Brydges, later 1st Duke of Chandos. The anthem was probably first performed at St. Lawrence's church, Whitchurch, near Brydges' country house. The work is written for a small ensemble of instrumentalists, solo singers and choir, and is approximately twenty minutes in length.

<i>Parnasso in festa</i> 1734 opera by Handel

Parnasso in festa, per li sponsali di Teti e Peleo, by George Frideric Handel, is a festa teatrale, a form also called a "serenata", a type of Italian opera intended as entertainment to celebrate a festive royal or state occasion. The work was written to celebrate the marriage of Anne, Princess Royal and Prince William of Orange. Parnasso in festa had its first performance in London at the King's Theatre on 13 March 1734 and was repeated five times. The operatic entertainment, to an anonymous libretto, was such a success at its London premiere that although it was intended as a one-off production for a royal wedding, Parnasso in festa was revived by Handel in several subsequent seasons.

<i>Water Music</i> Three suites by Handel

The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beecham-Handel suites</span>

The conductor Sir Thomas Beecham made several orchestral suites from neglected music by George Frideric Handel, mostly from the composer's 42 surviving operas. The best known of the suites are The Gods Go a'Begging (1928), The Origin of Design (1932), The Faithful Shepherd (1940), Amaryllis (1944) and The Great Elopement.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.