Saul - full opera
Rent the Handel collection • 2h 44m
David has vanquished the giant Goliath, but not everyone rejoices in his victory. Jealous of the young warrior, King Saul turns against him, descending into violent, destructive madness that forces his children to choose between loyalty and love, tearing both a family and a nation apart.
Handel’s vision of a Lear-like king is astonishing in its psychological complexity, offering a musical portrait of mental collapse few have since matched. Combined with thrilling choruses that exploit the virtuosic potential of their singers, exquisite arias and bold orchestration filled with unusual instruments, it creates a Biblical drama of truly Shakespearean scope.
Recorded live at Glyndebourne Opera House, Festival 2015.
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Rinaldo - full opera
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Saul: explore with Alexandra
Combining the expressive arias of Handel’s operas – each a window into the human soul, or lack thereof – and the dynamic chorus writing of his church music, Saul is the original 18th-century blockbuster.
Alexandra Coghlan talks to Handel biographer Jonathan Keates and novelist Donna Leon to expl...
